


Long Live The Queen

by ForxGood



Category: Galavant (TV), Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Abstract version of present day 1940s New York, F/F, Mafia AU, Mentions of other Galavant characters (background), No betas we publish like over-confident white men, dark themes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-09
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:00:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 31,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22179016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForxGood/pseuds/ForxGood
Summary: After the death of her husband Richard, Madalena solidifies her position as rightful ruler of Richard's criminal empire by taking out her main competitors.
Relationships: Madalena (Galavant)/War (Good Omens)
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is basically just a War x Madalena mobster AU. It's adapted from an old RP thread I did way back in days of old for another ship, but it suits these two so well the opportunity was too good to pass up.

The clicking of heels on the cold marble floor echoed through the hallways, drawing the eyes of the onlookers. Because of course, there were _ always _ onlookers. God forbid Madalena could have even a minute to herself in this godforsaken household. There were men in sharp black suits and shiny black guns around every corner, and servants in crisp white shirts entering and leaving every other room.

At least the latter had the sensibility to scurry away at the sound of her approach. They knew Madalena’s wrath was not something they wanted to be subjected to, even before the death of her husband. Now _ ex _-husband, as far as Madalena was concerned.

Ah, Richard. A man with no morals and even fewer wits about him. The brunette never had been able to stand him, even while he was alive. He had been whiny, inept, and more importantly: _ weak _. 

She would not stand for weakness.

Still, that didn’t make the current power vacuum any less unsettling. Sure, she’d stepped in to fill Richard’s shoes fairly quickly - had even before his ‘unfortunate’ passing. The majority of the men around her knew who held the keys of this kingdom now, and they knew not to resist during this phase. But there were always those who disagreed.

No matter. Madalena had at least one insurance policies against those who opposed her, and she was walking two feet behind her, hands in her pockets as her eyes flitted over the faces of the people around them. Watching. _ Hunting _.

Her name was Carmen Zinderberg, though no one had called her that in years. She was War now, and she burned with a fire as bright as her hair was red. She was ruthless, vicious, and delighted in the thrill of violence in a manner that rivaled her mistress’. She was Madalena’s bodyguard, her protector, her lover.

Though to Madalena, she was always just _ Red _.

Both of them on their own were a force to be reckoned with, both knowing how to manipulate those around them, both relishing the sight of a good bloody death. On their own, they were cause for concern. But together, they were nothing short of terrifying.

Madalena entered her chambers, War following her as always. The redhead immediately noted some of her men at their posts guarding the door, but she fixed them with a stern look the moment she entered.

She knew the conversation she was about to have was not meant to be overheard, even with those she trusted.

“Leave.” Was all she said and they nodded, leaving the two women alone. They knew better than to argue. A pretty girl like War didn’t become head of security on her looks alone; even if she was sleeping with the former Don’s wife.

War wasn’t completely stupid; she knew exactly why Madalena had started their little tryst. War had always been the best in their security team, and Madalena had wanted the redhead wrapped around her very skillful fingers as soon as possible. She hadn’t missed how the brunette liked to flaunt how War liked her over everyone else, or how War was their organization’s most efficient hitwoman. She knew such displays would make it very unlikely for anyone to oppose Madalena if - or in her case, _ when _ \- she began her power grab. As much as favouritism was a factor in War’s own rise through the ranks as head of security, she was aware of the bribe it simultaneously was.

(Not that she needed to be bribed. Madalena, to her credit, had been more effective in securing War’s loyalties than either of them had expected. War wouldn’t betray her queen for all the gold in the world).

But none of that mattered now. There were arrangements to be made, and the redhead shut the door behind them, the click of the lock sounding clear as a bell in the silent room. Madalena motioned for War to sit as she sat crouched down in front of the liquor cabinet, War taking the opportunity to stare at her lover’s ass while her back was turned. If Madalena noticed (and she did, War knew she always did) she didn’t mind, pouring both of them a drink as War ran through the matters at hand in her head. Currently, she still had a few outstanding contracts, all of which had been ordered by Richard. While Madalena was of course aware of these, they had agreed to discuss those further once the man had been… _ disposed of _.

“I don’t suppose this is one of those fun kinds of meetings where I can get you begging for me?” Madalena teased, handing War her glass as she sat down next to her on the couch. Normally, the brunette would have comfortably deposited herself in the other woman’s lap, but she supposed it best they not get distracted right now. She hadn’t managed to take over this operation solely by sleeping with her bodyguard, nice as that activity was.

“No. Well, not _ yet _, at least.” War smirked, unable to resist tangling her free hand in Madalena’s brown locks, tilting her lover’s head back as her lips grazed over her neck. The noises she was rewarded with were nothing short of intoxicating, and it took War quite a bit of self control to get back to business. “For now, there’s the outstanding hits, as well as other arrangements I need to discuss with you regarding our rivals.”

“Shop talk.” Madalena sighed, already missing her lover’s touch. “You do know how to make a girl feel special.” Madalena would never admit it to anyone, but so far the entire transition had annoyed and even unnerved her a little more than expected. Their business always thrived best under control and certainty, and she had known in advance any transition would provide turmoil. Still, she had been surprised at how many cracks had shown themselves in the foundation of Richard’s former business.

War was right to worry about upcoming potential threats. Had Madalena known just how badly her former husband had been running things, she might have postponed this ordeal. For now, the sooner Madalena got things up and running, the better.

“Alright then, tell me. I know Richard was on bad terms with the Valencians, so I’m guessing they’ve got names on your hitlist.”

“Isabella, their Don’s daughter. Richard wanted only the parents handled - bloody, of course - but I doubted you’d approve. Not that I mentioned that to _ him _.” 

Madalena clicked her tongue at that. “Wise woman.” She nodded, crossing her legs as she took a sip from her drink. She was glad War had had the sense to keep her mouth shut; arguing with her husband had never been a good idea, even Madalena knew as much. Contradict the man too often, and it was a one way ticket to the bottom of the Hudson river; for all his weakness, Richard had a temper and an impulse control problem. War wouldn’t have been the first excellent employee he’d callously disposed of in a fit of rage.

“I’d like to know what you would have me do with them instead. Your husband’s decisions don’t matter right now.” She rested her arm on the back of the couch, turning to face her lover. 

“My husband’s decisions never mattered.” Madalena countered, earning her a chuckle from War.

“True, but that doesn’t answer my question.” War took a sip of her glass before balancing it on her knee, watching as Madalena considered the situation. The redhead had known full well Richard’s requests tended to be short-sighted. Her queen, on the other hand, always thought multiple steps ahead. She had a mind for power and control like none she’d seen before, and War truly enjoyed watching her work. War could see the cogs turning in her head, a smile beginning to play on Madalena’s lips as a plan began to form in her head. 

“What if you went at them in the same way we went after my husband?” Madalena hummed, looking at War with a sly smirk on her face. “Turn the Hortentians into the scapegoat; not only for the Valencians, but my _ darling _ husband as well. A bloody death is all well and good, and lord knows they deserve it, but it would look too much like retaliation. It could start a turf war, and that’s the last thing we need right now.” 

“I haven’t known you to shy away from a senseless war, Maddie.” War grinned, but she understood her lover’s apprehension. This transition period was too tumultuous, and they were spread too thin as it was. It was much more efficient to let the other families take each other out while they watched and swooped in when the time was right. With a bit of luck, if they played their cards right, they could turn this into something bigger. 

“It’s kind of a shame, I know.” Madalena sighed wistfully. “Plus, I had been hoping to do the little bitch in myself.” Ever since Isabella of Valencia had struck up a relationship with one of Madalena’s former exes, the brunette had been aching for revenge. War herself had done Gary Galavant in a while ago (definitely _ not _ out of jealousy, thank you very much. She’d just gotten ahead of herself on a hit that she was sure someone would have ordered at some point) but she’d often heard Madalena express her distaste at the girl who ‘tried to eat her leftover man mutton’. 

“So what’s the plan here?” War asked, reaching over to play with Madalena’s hair. “Kill the Valencians, make it look like a Hortensian hit job, and then what?”

“Remember how the Devices have been losing territories lately? It was uncovered that the Hortentians were actually behind that, but no one had the balls to stand up. Didn’t want to risk another war, they claimed. But if they’re actively going after members of any of the families in charge around these parts…” Madalena shook her head, tutting ever so slightly. “Now that just won’t do. That brings the Valencians, Devices, and then my little empire all united against them. With that kind of resentment, no one would bat an eye if we made an example out of them. After all, a poor, grief-stricken wife deserves revenge on her husband; that’s just respectful around these parts. All we need to do then is swoop in and take what the Valencians left behind in their power vacuum. My position is established, we get rid of two major competitors at once while ensuring loyalties of a third, and I…” Madalena smirked, pulling War a little closer by her tie, “get to thank _you_ for all your hard work. Everybody wins.”

War allowed herself to be pulled down, smirking a little bit as Madalena kissed her hungrily. Her lover always got herself riled up when they talked shop, and there were few business discussions between them that hadn’t ended in some very satisfying sex. It was definitely a part of her job War loved.

“You’re forgetting the fifth family around these parts.” War spoke between kisses. “Mine. Sometimes I forget I was a peace offering.”

“Wasn’t that exactly the point of you?” Madalena asked, tangling her fingers in War’s hair and giving a sharp tug, eliciting a pleased groan from her lover. “Ensuring the horsepeople’s loyalties? I thought your support went without saying.” Still, she knew War raised a good point; they’d have to consider every contingency. Not that Madalena was too worried. She knew the redhead’s family, knew her ex-husband had always told her about their mutual understanding of each other. As long as they let the horsepeople’s business be, they would let them be in return. It was how Madalena’s former assistant, Sid, had ended up working as Famine’s lackey, and how War had ended up in their household. A mutual safety policy, if you will.

“Should I tell Famine that the Hortentians made an attempt on my life as well? You know, while I was ‘trying to protect your husband’?” War grinned against Madalena’s skin, kissing the column of her throat as she felt Madalena laugh beneath her. 

“You know full well that excuse won’t fly. Famine knows you hated the man.” She grinned, pulling War up by her hair and kissing her, nipping at her lover’s bottom lip. “But it gives him a good excuse to play along, that’s for sure. The extra incentive could never hurt.” 

War hummed in agreement, allowing Madalena to pull her down for a few seconds longer before she pulled away. Madalena let out a small whine at the loss of contact, glaring a little at War. “What are you doing?”

“My job.” War replied, trying to straighten herself up.

“You’re a terrible tease.” Madalena huffed, grabbing War’s tie and pulling her back down to crash their lips together again. Much to her dismay, however, War had a point. Their current matter was a little time-sensitive, so she reluctantly let go of the fabric of her lover’s tie.

“Fine. Set up the damn meeting. But wait until after the hit; it won’t do for them to get involved too soon. And don’t even think for a _ second _ you just get to leave me here all high and dry. We’re not done.” Her tone was a little icier, and War chuckled at the pout on Madalena’s face. Her queen could be very adorable when she didn’t get her way.

She reached out, her hand cupping Madalena’s cheek, gently caressing it with her thumb before straightening up. As much as she wanted to let the other woman push her to her knees and taste her, now wasn’t the time. “I have some things to prepare. I’ll be back later tonight. Do I have your permission, my lov-… My queen?”

Madalena snorted softly at the little slip-up, though she was gazing upon War with an expression nothing short of fondness. As much as Madalena hated to see War go, and as much as she worried whenever her lover was away, she liked getting the confirmation that War had gotten attached to her. Almost as attached as Madalena herself had gotten to the woman.

_ Her Red _.

Getting up from the couch as well, Madalena wrapped her arms around War’s neck, pulling her in for another kiss before stepping back. “As long as you’re careful. You’re not allowed to die for anyone but me, got it?”

“I would prefer not to die at all. But you know how I feel.” War laughed, adjusting her tie and looking over at Madalena as she smoothed out her black suit. The assassin crossed the room, slipping on tight leather gloves as she planned out her assignment, running through a list of what she might need. She remembered Madalena had a file somewhere detailing the Hortentian’s standard MO; it would be wise to look through that before she left.

“Don’t leave your room tonight. It’s not safe. Just play a movie or something. Loud. Anyone comes looking for me… Just say we’re fucking.” War said after holstering her gun, her tone all business. She felt Madalena slide up behind her, the taller woman’s arms wrapping around her waist. Her lover’s closeness and the scent of her perfume were distracting, and War had half a mind to ditch the mission and just take Madalena right there and then, but she knew that wouldn’t do.

Madalena didn’t tolerate failures. Not even from her.

“I know the protocol, Red.” Madalena rolled her eyes, but War could hear the fondness in her voice. She was aware that Madalena had gotten attached to her, at least to an extent. It wasn’t something they ever spoke about, both letting such emotions hang between them instead. War supposed one day they’d suffocate them, and one of them would have to admit weakness first, effectively ending their tryst. But until then, she cherished these little slip-ups, these small moments where she could believe Madalena could actually care for her as more than her protector and bedwarmer.

She turned in Madalena’s arms and gazed into her eyes, committing their exact shade to memory yet again. It was something she always did; on the off chance she wouldn’t make it back, she wanted those eyes to be the last thing she saw. 

“I’ll be back when it’s done.” 

This is the moment when normal people would share ‘I love you’s, where they would passionately kiss goodbye, where one would plead for the safe return of the other, and where the other would make an empty promise that they’d keep safe.

But they were far from normal people.

The redhead’s face steeled, mentally preparing to go do her job, while Madalena’s face showing only the slightest flicker of emotion as she spoke. If War let herself, she could almost believe the brunette looked worried.

“Just come back to me. It takes an awfully long time to break in a new bodyguard.” It was as close to an ‘I love you’ as they knew Madalena was going to get in situations like these, or any situation. It always unnerved the woman a little, not knowing if War would be back. She tried to detach herself during these moments, trying to make it easier on herself should the day ever come that her lover indeed did not return.

(She doubted it would work)

“I’ll see you later.” Madalena’s tone left no room for argument, and War turned to leave, making her way towards the door, unlocking it. Just before leaving the room, the redhead turned slightly to watch Madalena leave, the brunette having her own business to attend to. War tried to tell herself that she only paused to look to make sure Madalena was safe. 

(Lies. One last glimpse was all her mind and body were after. One last reminder of who she was doing for, who she was determined to protect.)

Once the brunette was out of sight, the assassin walked out, shutting the door behind her and signalling some of her other men to guard the chambers. She would not leave her queen unguarded in her absence. Leaving the mansion, the redhead kept to the shadows, making her way towards her targets.

It was going to be a long night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> War returns from her mission, bloodied and injured. Madalena does something about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter warnings: Contains blood, choking, and porn with feelings. Also 2 emotionally inept lesbians, but that's just the whole pairing in a nutshell.

When War returned, it was close to 4 AM, and all was calm and quiet as she snuck through the hallways of the mansion. It helped that she knew her staff’s rota, and knew which hallways to avoid as she made her way to Madalena’s chambers. Had someone spotted her, they would undoubtedly have had some questions about the trail of blood behind her (hers) or the blood stains on her clothes (mostly not hers). She tried her best to straighten her suit with one hand, the wound in her left shoulder making it hurt too much to be of any use right now, before knocking on the doors dividing Madalena and herself. Maybe, if her suit looked okay, her lover wouldn’t notice she’d gotten hurt. There was little she hated more than the look on Madalena’s face when she came back in worse shape than she left.

She told herself she’d had worse. Which she had, but she knew Madalena wouldn’t care. Any injuries War obtained were sure to send the brunette into a frenzy.

Her suspicions were confirmed when the door opened, Madalena’s smile at seeing her quickly fading away and being replaced by anger. The redhead knew that, to an extent, the anger was merely a symptom of Madalena’s worries, and the brunette’s rage wasn’t fully directed at her. That unfortunately didn’t mean War didn’t get to bear the brunt of it, something she was painfully aware of as the other woman swiftly pulled her inside and shut the door.

(She noted how Madalena had pulled her right arm rather than her left. It seemed that even in the heat of the moment, her queen cared enough to ensure that War didn’t get hurt worse. Not without her permission.)

“What on Earth happened to you?” Madalena hissed, somehow worried that they would be overheard. “I thought this was supposed to be a simple job.”

War shook off Madalena’s grip, pulling off her gloves and setting them to the side, unbuttoning her suit jacket as she went. War was in pain, yes, but she’d never really let that stop her. “It was. Turns out Isa-bubble is a fighter. Dead now, of course, but she tried.” 

Madalena growled, her anger at the little Valencian girl growing tenfold as she walked off to grab the first aid kit she kept under her bathroom sink. Not for the first time she wished _ she _ could have been the one to kill the girl, to make her pay for all the things she’d tried to take from her. She supposed she’d just have to be pleased that there was nothing else the girl could do to ruin her life now.

War had followed Madalena into the bathroom, sitting down on the edge of the bathtub. She had ditched her shirt by now, finally getting a good look at the damage the Valencians had managed to inflict on her.

“Laceration. Left shoulder.” Maybe a busted rib or two, but War decided Madalena didn’t need to know about that just yet. The brunette had seemed worried enough when War saw her, she didn’t feel like adding to the other woman’s troubles.

That worry didn’t seem to have gone anywhere when War looked back at her lover, and she reached out to take Madalena’s hand, pulling her closer. She pressed her head to the woman’s abdomen, letting go of Madalena’s hand in favour of wrapping her arm around the woman’s waist, holding her. “Stitch me up?” She mumbled, though she already knew the answer.

As if Madalena would let anyone else touch what was hers if it wasn’t absolutely necessary. It wasn’t the first case of one of them having to stitch the other up, and it wouldn’t be the last.

Madalena breathed out a small sigh of relief, glad to see War was okay. Or at least, not as badly hurt as she expected. She honestly didn’t want to find out how she’d react should she ever lose the redhead at this point.

She knelt down so she was at eye-level with War, reaching up to brush a strand of hair out of the other woman’s face. “You do know you’re not leaving my sight for the rest of the night, right?” What with having been forced to live so long keeping up a facade of not getting attached to people, it was difficult to shake Madalena from her world of expectations. Still, the way she was looking at War spoke volumes. _ I love you_. _ I want you safe. _But most of all:

_ Please don’t leave me here alone._

Pressing a soft kiss to War’s forehead, Madalena turned on the tap, cleaning the wound on War’s shoulder before setting to work on the stitches. “Any other injuries I need to know about?”

“A mildly bruised ego…” War smiled softly, not even flinching as Madalena worked on cleaning her shoulder. She watched for a moment as the brunette pulled out a needle and thread, studying the way her flesh was pulled back together before her eyes. Madalena’s words and worried tone hasn’t gone unnoticed by the assassin, and it made her feel a little warm inside to see her lover working so diligently on stitching her up.

If anyone asked, Madalena would claim it was because she’d put time and effort into War, shaping her to be her perfect bodyguard and servant. But they both knew it was more than that.

“Don’t worry.” she forced herself to take a deep breath as she looked away, back at Madalena’s piercing green eyes, which were still focused on the task at hand. “I carved a few incriminating sigils into the girl and her parents before I left. There’s no reason to question it was anyone other than the Hortentians.”

“Good.” Madalena hummed, dropping a kiss to War’s bare shoulder once she finished stitching her up. Wrapping the bandages around the wound, Madalena felt herself growing more and more impatient at the menial task, wanting nothing more than let out her frustrations with this botched mission some other way. But she willed herself to remember that last time she’d done a shoddy and rushed job stitching her lover up, she’d gotten blood all over her good sheets.

(Which Madalena found added to the atmosphere, but had been a nightmare to get out).

The wound was a little deeper than she had thought it would have been, and the brunette found herself mildly annoyed that she had no one to punish for hurting War. The redhead was hers, for all intents and purposes, and messing with her meant messing with Madalena. And Madalena didn’t take too kindly to people with such behaviour. But unfortunately, this was an off-the-books mission, which meant Madalena just had to suck it up.

This was another reason why Madalena hated it when War got back hurt; her lover had proven an excellent way to let out her frustrations, and she hated having to hold herself back.

Nevertheless, her free hand had already tangled in War’s hair, kissing her way down the redhead’s jaw as War groaned pleasantly. “I feel like I should be more angry at you for coming home hurt.” Madalena mumbled, teeth already nipping at bare flesh. “Instead, I’m just really turned on.”

“As if your anger ever made me apprehensive. Besides, you love it when I come home all bloody.” She remembered the first time she had discovered this detail about Madalena. The redhead had come back, covered in blood, her own nose broken. War fixed it herself, causing more blood to spill across her lips, the entire thing looking like a bit of a mess.

Madalena had found her there, standing in front of the bathroom mirror, visibly annoyed with the stains on her dress. When War spotted her, her initial thought had been that Madalena was there to yell at her, to chastise her for being an unpresentable mess. Instead, she’d seen the brunette’s eyes glaze over with unbridled lust, and Madalena had kissed her, hard. 

She still remembered Madalena licking her blood off her lips, the taller woman moaning against her as War became apparent of just how turned on Madalena was. In response, War had roughly taken her against the bathroom counter, their moans echoing throughout the room. It had been the start of a long, hot, and somewhat messy ‘relationship’.

The sensation of Madalena biting her lip brought War back to the present, and blue eyes were glassy as her head was tipped back, a lot of things flashing in War’s mind. Her breathing was steadier now, and the redhead could tell Madalena was still very much in control. She liked it that way, War knew that. There was no one else in the world who could make War bend to her will the way Madalena did, and they both knew it. The assassin hadn’t even known she _ had _ a submissive side until Madalena brought it out in her, bringing her to her knees with just a few words and well-placed touches. It felt good, having someone else be in charge for once, to _ serve _ , to be _ praised _. 

But as much as she enjoyed her position, she knew she wasn’t the only one who needed to relinquish control on occasion. Her lover was much the same, craving the peace of mind subspace provided. And tonight was very much one of those times. War knew her lover, knew her better than she knew herself at times. She knew the brunette had been overworking herself, trying to control every single aspect of her takeover. And while she excelled at it - gods, did she ever - War knew that if she kept going, she was going to push herself to her limits.

She needed a release from that, even for a few minutes. She needed the reminder that _ everyone _ could be broken. Even a queen.

So her hands shot up, seizing Madalena by the collar as she stood, dragging the other woman up with her. She felt Madalena gasp, and War smirked, letting her hands firmly grasp Madalena’s throat. It always took more effort to get Madalena into a submissive position than it did War, the assassin being so used to serving her queen that it came naturally to her now. But once her lover got there, she was always much more meek and obedient than War had ever been. In those moments, War could tell her anything, make her do anything, and Madalena would comply, no questions asked. It was a lot of trust to put in someone.

War had sworn on her life that she would never, _ ever _ give Madalena any reason to relinquish that trust in her.

The assassin squeezed just enough to make her lover struggle. “I used my hands, just… like… this…” War leaned forward, brushing her lips against Madalena’s. “Just like you wanted.”

“No marks this time.” Madalena managed to get out in between kisses, War’s breath hot against her lips. What with the funeral and the transition coming up, it wouldn’t do for Madalena to be walking around sporting strangulation bruises for no good reason. She’d covered them up with make-up before, but that took time and effort, both of which were currently better served elsewhere.

War seemed to understand, kissing Madalena roughly, full of hot breath and teeth as felt Madalena’s pulse hammer against her palms. She squeezed a little more, digging in her fingernails just enough to bite into the taller woman’s skin without leaving a mark. Granted, she would have loved to leave bruises around her throat, to mark Madalena as her own, but the brunette was right; this wasn’t the time for that.

Instead, she just groaned pleasantly as the felt Madalena’s nails scrape over her scalp, the both of them thoroughly enjoying some pain with their pleasure. She loosened her grip on her lover’s throat, biting Madalena’s lip one last time before letting go and walking to the bedroom. She didn’t even need to motion for Madalena to follow her, the brunette doing so out of instinct. Out of _ need _.

War sat down on the edge of the bed, studying her lover and fixing her with a hardened gaze.

“Knees. _ Now _.”

Madalena didn’t hesitate, sinking to her knees in an instant as War laced her fingers through brown locks, tugging ever so slightly to make Madalena look up at her. Green eyes gazed up at her, and War felt a strange feeling in her stomach at the vulnerability on her lover’s face. She knew Madalena would not dare let anyone else see this side of her; wouldn’t dare to even let anyone else know this side _ existed _. There were very few times Madalena had shown her own submissive side. There had been a few occasions in the past of Madalena being a slave to her own pleasures, War calling her every name in the book while her lover’s only response was to fuck herself even harder on War’s fingers. But as blue eyes fixed on green, she knew that tonight wasn’t about that.

There were times where Madalena was hesitant to let go of her control. War taking charge was always a gamble, Madalena occasionally fully resisting her, using War rather than letting her help her. But as the two locked eyes, War could see the effect she was already having on her lover. Her gaze was open, her posture almost meek, and War knew she had the brunette ready to bend to her will. It exhilarated her. This side of Madalena was all War’s to have, and the redhead never ceased to be amazed by her luck.

War tugged more sharply on Madalena’s hair, the brunette getting the hint and placing a kiss to War’s toned stomach, already fumbling with the belt. “Good girl.”

Madalena made quick work of getting War out of her pants, a small moan escaping her lips at the sensation of the redhead’s fingers pulling at her hair. Madalena talked a good game, sure, but War had a way of undoing it all, literally bringing Madalena to her knees with just a few words and well-placed touches. It amazed her how well her lover knew her sometimes, how well War could read what she needed and when she needed it. That, combined with the sight of the blood still drying on War’s skin, made Madalena dizzy with arousal. 

In hindsight, she supposed she never really stood a chance against the other woman. When she had started this, dragging War into her bed under the guise of loneliness and boredom, it had just been fun. War was a good lay, and Madalena told herself that as long as she didn’t get attached, it would all be fine. It was part of the reason why initially, she had vehemently denied any feelings she found herself having for the redhead. 

After Madalena’s initial realization that maybe she’d grown more fond of the redhead than initially planned, she had tried her hardest to put some distance between them, vowing to herself to stop sleeping with War and find someone else to satisfy her needs. But despite her best efforts, she kept finding herself dragging War into her bed, pushing her up against walls, each time more desperate and hungry for her touch. Afterwards, she’d loudly insist that this meant nothing, that War was nothing more than a distraction to her. An employee, meaningless in the grand scheme of things. 

All lies, of course, or she wouldn’t be here right now, allowing herself to be dominated by her lover like this. If anyone else knew how easy it was for her to come undone under War’s touch, they would never take her seriously ever again.

(Or well, as long as she had War by her side, maybe she wouldn’t need to worry about that. The redhead was truly terrifying when she needed to be.)

War’s breath hitched barely, blue eyes focusing on the other woman now traveling down between her legs. Her blood still felt hot in her veins, arousal pooling in her stomach as she lifted her hips just slightly, helping Madalena get her out of her clothes. Madalena’s hands trailed up the redhead’s bare thighs, the brunette making herself a little more comfortable between the other woman’s legs before delving in, her tongue moving against War with slow, precise strokes.

War leaned back slightly, propping herself up on her elbow to look down at Madalena with heavy eyes as she fought the urge to roll her hips into her tongue. Her shoulder burned with pain, but she ignored it, keeping her fingers tangled in Madalena’s hair as she watched her tongue work. The sight of her on her knees in front of the her, the feeling, it was intoxicating. Madalena had a skilled tongue, metaphorically, but War had first-hand experience of just _ how _ skilled her lover’s tongue could be.

It didn’t take long for a familiar warmth to coil in the pit of her stomach. War tightened her grip, manipulating Madalena’s head slightly as her own breath came out in a low moan. She had a feeling Madalena considered making War beg for it, could tell by how the flicks of her tongue slowed ever so slightly. She knew her queen was still angry with her, still displeased that War had dared to get herself hurt. Had dared to let herself be hurt. Because as much as seeing War all beaten and bloodied was an immense turn-on for Madalena, it also served as a stark reminder that the brunette could theoretically lose War in a heartbeat.

But it appeared Madalena wasn’t in the mood to fight tonight. Instead, she just allowed herself to be guided by War, reading her lover’s responses and responding accordingly. Madalena knew her body, knew what she liked and didn’t like, and she never failed to make War remember just why she had kept coming back to her to begin with.

The redhead’s head tilted back as her breathing became labored, uneven, almost harsh. Her grip tightened further as she came against Madalena’s tongue, the other woman’s name leaving her lips as enjoyed waves of release. She needed it, needed _ her _. Madalena stayed between her legs for a little while longer, helping her come down, before kissing her thigh with a smile. Hearing her name fall from War’s lips was like fucking music, and Madalena wondered if she’d ever get enough of her; her touch, her voice, her taste…

She allowed War to pull her up again, feeling that the tension that had weighed her down over the past few weeks had fallen away. Her lover had been right; Madalena had needed to let go.

All the harshness had left War’s eyes now, replaced with nothing but fondness and adoration, and Madalena let her lips brush against War’s, kissing her softly as she felt the redhead’s arm snake around her waist, steadying her. 

It was strange to her, how War had made her break all those promises she made to herself. How War actually brought out an affectionate side in her, a side she had so often associated only with useless characters in romantic fiction. A side she’d never thought she’d have to associate with herself. But here she was, kissing her lover, with no rush and no political agenda, for no reason other than that Madalena just wanted to be with her.

They rested their foreheads together when Madalena pulled away, War reaching up with her good arm to push some of Madalena’s hair behind her ear. “I lov-” 

She stopped herself short, swallowing hard, trying to blame the slip on a lack of composure. Part of her worried if maybe she was in trouble, if maybe she had just ruined this already fragile thing between them, but Madalena just shushed her softly, kissing her again.

“I know.” She spoke softly, her fingers slowly threading through red locks, enjoying the way War leaned in to her touch. “I know.” 

She wasn’t sure she wanted to say it. Not yet. Maybe not ever. Saying it made it real, and while Madalena was already pretty damn sure that nothing could make her change her mind on War, she wasn’t sure she was ready for it to be real. Because if it was real, then she’d have to admit War was her weakness. If it was real, War had a target on her back.

_ Later _, Madalena always promised herself. Later, when things were less hectic and she could be sure that no one would go after War for leverage over her. Not that going after War would make Madalena any more likely to cave to anyone’s demands. The brunette was a professional first and foremost; she would sell out anyone to keep her power and control. But she also knew that if she were to lose War, she’d end up with survivors guilt, unhinged and unstable. It would result in a bloodied, glorious ruin of her own little empire.

But at least that would be on her own terms.

She knew she’d have to face the music at some point. After all, it wasn’t exactly a secret how they felt about each other. But right now, they could just play it off as basic favouritism, a normal way for Madalena to occupy her time. They didn’t need to know that Madalena would burn down cities to get her vengeance if anyone dared to take War away from her. They usually did such a good job at pretending not to give a shit about each other; they could keep that up for a while longer. For now, Madalena just let herself have this, these little moments where it was just the two of them. The few minutes during which they didn’t need to worry about appearances or imminent dangers.

Of course that didn’t last too long. God forbid Madalena actually had time to properly enjoy her lover’s company. The two lovers had been exchanging lazy kisses when a small buzz could be heard on the bedside table; War’s phone.

Cracking an eye, the redhead reached out to take it despite Madalena’s protests, unlocking it with a swipe of her thumb and immediately settling into her profession voice, even with her head against her lover.

“Talk.” There was a pause and then she went rigid. “Excuse me?” Another pause, then she shot up, brushing past Madalena and back into the bathroom to get her shirt and jacket… this night was never going to end.

“If you don’t have him when I show up, I’m putting a bullet in your skull!” She forced the phone into her pocket, a scowl over her features as she tossed everything on but didn’t care enough about the tie. Having heard the urgency in the redhead’s voice, Madalena hadn’t argued for a second, simply helping War into her shirt and jacket, knowing that would be difficult enough with a stitched-up shoulder.

“We have a visitor.” War grumbled, allowing Madalena to quickly button up her shirt. The brunette had had the sense to grab War’s gun on the way, and the assassin holstered it as Madalena smoothed out her shirt collar. “I have to go…”

“Go. Do what you do best. But I demand to know how on Earth someone managed to get this far without your team noticing. I will not allow any mistakes, Red.” And just like that, they were back to being all business. War still had a target to protect, Madalena still had an empire to run, and feelings of love had no place in such environments. Any worries Madalena had now were for her power and her power alone, troubled by the fact that someone had managed to sneak in past her own men. She wondered if War’s control over her employees had slipped a little. 

It wouldn’t do for War to go soft on her now, not with the tumultuous times ahead. Madalena was going to need someone by her side who followed her orders without a second thought, who could send out strict warnings to the first few openly opposing her. If War wasn’t going to be up for the job, she needed to know.

“Don’t worry.” War replied, noting Madalena’s apprehension. “I was thinking about a thinning of the herd anyway. This makes for a great excuse.” She smiled, searching Madalena’s face for permission before kissing her with surprising softness. “I’ll make sure to find out every detail. Please do me a favor and look at some possible candidates that need a promotion.” 

“As if looking over my shoulder for a potential uprising wasn’t effort enough.” Madalena smiled, the two women looking at each other for a few more seconds before they turned away simultaneously, War heading to the door and Madalena heading to her desk.

Casting one last glimpse at her lover, War shut the door, hand on her gun as she made her way to the holding cells where their unwanted visitor was being kept, wondering if anything was ever going to be easy.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> War and Madalena deal with an intruder. War deals with being an impulsive idiot. Madalena deals with caring for an impulsive idiot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Usual chapter warnings for blood & violence.

Madalena couldn’t focus.

She’d done as War had asked, getting the additional stack of personnel files delivered to her for review, but try as she might she couldn’t stop her mind from wandering. To War, to the danger she’d put herself in, to the danger she was putting herself in at this moment… She tried to block it all out, pretend War was just another employee cleaning up a mess they’d made, but she knew it was more than that. And not just because it was War in the crossfire.

This entire takeover was putting Madalena under more stress than she wanted. She was confident in her plans, confident she had the skills to pull this off and make her the most powerful woman on the East Coast, but if she couldn’t keep this slip up under control, everything could still come crumbling down below her. And if it did, she’d lose much more than just her empire.

Making another attempt to shake those thoughts from her mind, she tried again to focus on the task at hand, startling when she heard a familiar knock on the door. Her hand had immediately shot to the gun she had placed within reach, never foolish enough to leave herself unprotected. One intruder generally meant multiple, and with War as banged up as she was, it had absolutely crossed Madalena’s mind that her bodyguard may not have been able to do her job.

(She had been trying and failing not to think about that possible outcome too much).

Opening the door, Madalena’s initial thoughts were less than appropriate considering their current situation. Her lover was even more banged up than before. Her hair was down, undoubtedly having fallen loose in the fray, and Madalena could tell from her posture that one of her ribs was definitely broken. Blood was running down War’s arm, and the brunette tried to channel all her emotions into annoyance at the fact that War had managed to pop her stitches.

(Hey, she had been proud of her handiwork. All of that undone by incompetent staff… Someone was going to pay for this).

War didn’t say a word as she stood in the doorway, her gaze fixed on Madalena, who made quick work of holstering her gun. The redhead silently motioned for her to follow, leaving a small trail of blood on the floor as she turned around, not sparing Madalena another glance. 

“So, what’s the situation?” Madalena asked, following War down the stairs. Her question seemed to fall on deaf ears, and Madalena fought the growing feeling of unease in her stomach. “Red?” She tried again, but War didn’t even acknowledge her presence with a grunt. Despite being only a few feet ahead of her, she felt like she was miles away, and the feeling of unease turned into one of fear.

War only did this - shutting down on her - whenever things were truly serious. Had someone overpowered them? Was that why they had sent War to fetch her? Did they know? 

Madalena immediately dismissed those thoughts. After all, if people knew, they wouldn’t have sent War to fetch her. They wouldn’t have left her and War alone. Madalena knew she was the redhead’s only real weakness. If they had wanted to use her as leverage, they wouldn’t put War in a position where she could warn her ahead of time.

Still, War shutting her out troubled her. Part of her wanted to pull the redhead aside, order her to tell her what she was thinking, force the information out of her by any means necessary… But as they had made their way to the basement, screams had begun to fill the hallways, and Madalena was reminded of the task at hand.

Business first. As always, her personal matters just had to wait.

They entered the room to the sounds of bones breaking, and the screams of a man tied to a mental chair. Madalena’s henchmen immediately straightened up when their bosses entered, nodding wordlessly at Madalena as War stepped back into the shadows. They were good men. Loyal.

It was a shame they wouldn’t live through the night.

Madalena cast one last look at War, who still refused to meet her gaze, before turning to one of the other men in the room. 

“Speak.”

He gave her the rundown War had refused her. The man was with the Valencians, and he knew too much, having followed War back to the mansion from her earlier activities. The moment the frame job was mentioned, Madalena’s fear returned for a split-second. Because if one person knew about their plan to take an entire family out of the running, how many others knew too?

Again, she quickly dismissed those concerns as ridiculous, knowing this particular scheme hadn’t been in the works long enough for it to have gotten out, but it was still enough for her to shoot a pointed glare at War. 

“You let someone follow you?” She hissed, anger clear in her posture. Oh, someone was going to pay for this slip-up. Multiple someones, if Madalena had anything to say about it.

(She did. A plan was already hatching, and she knew she wasn’t particularly going to like the outcome).

War again refused to reply. She refused to even look at Madalena, even as she could feel her queen’s gaze on her. Studying her.  _ Judging _ her. She decided she didn’t fucking care right now. She had already been stabbed tonight, her knuckles were busted along with her lip, and her once bruised ribs were now definitely broken. The last thing she wanted right now was her lover’s judgement.

The moment he got his chance, their captive started yelling about War’s betrayal again. The redhead moved quickly, kicking the chair hard enough to send it rocking back and clattering to the floor, the intruder still tied down to it. Then he started to struggle and she smirked as she walked towards him, settling a foot on either side of his chair as she crouched down to stare him in the eyes.

“Who else did you spout this lie to?” 

“I’m not lying you cu-” She hit him, hard enough so that the resounding crack of the back of his skull hitting the cement echoed hollow in the room.

“Who. Else?”

War let out a breath, glad to have the distraction, allowing the fog in her mind to clear. There was a lot she couldn’t deal with right now - emotions, guilt,  _ Madalena _ \- but this she could do. Senseless violence she could deal with. Senseless violence was what she was good at.

When the man attempted to struggle again, there was another strike. When he tried again… she pulled a knife from her boot, stepping around him and dragging the chair back upright.

She was losing patience.

“I really don’t have time for you making me do this the hard way, fun as it is.” War shook her head, pressing the tip of her knife into the man’s shoulder, twisting the metal as it sunk deeper into his flesh. “But you left me no choice.”

There was a lot of screaming, the noise serving as a good way to drown out any other thoughts War might want to longer on. It helped her focus on the task at hand. She knew what she had to do. Get what she needed, then tie up loose ends. It was how she operated. It was why she was one of the best in the business. Not even Madalena, whose presence she was still ignoring, could fault her methods.

She was in the process of slowly turning her blade in stab wound number four when his resolve broke. He stated, between gasps, that he had barely caught a glimpse of her across town and chose to follow her. War straightened up, a little bit of blood matting and dripping from her red hair. She fished in his tattered jacket pocket, producing his phone.

No received or placed calls. Good. That meant this information was just with the people in this room.

Crushing the phone under her boot, she was about to approach the man again, when Madalena gripped her arm to stop her. Knowing War wouldn’t reply anyway, she wordlessly swapped her gun out with War’s, giving the redhead a small nod before letting go. To her guards, it would seem like Madalena was simply using this to confirm the kill order, but War knew better.

No one in this room was going to live through the night.

Once Madalena had taken her distance again, the redhead leaned in close to their captive, taking her knife and gently slitting part of the rope when the man’s eyes were on hers, War daring him to challenge her. He took the bait, breaking the bond enough to stand and attempt to swing his chair at her. It was clearly the act of a desperate man. War simply dodged the attack, watching the prisoner lunge for Madalena, who was still standing near the door. The brunette wasn’t fazed in the slightest, and didn’t even flinch as War raised her gun and fired.

He landed dead at Madalena’s feet.

War turned her sights quickly on her two remaining men in the room with them, and shot them both in the head, stepping over their bodies. She found her men’s firearms, picking spots in the room and emptying clips, setting the stage. 

“Protocol, Ma’am.”

It was all she could say to Madalena, who bristled in response. As much as she trusted War to know what she was doing - you didn’t get to be head of security and personal bodyguard to someone of her caliber without being almost overly qualified - Madalena was more than a little annoyed at being ignored by the redhead. No matter how well she appeared to have the situation covered. Not that Madalena was satisfied with the results. She couldn’t justify the murder of two of her men, not without cause. If she wanted to sell this, and sell this well, this was going to have to look unavoidable.

“You’re going to have to make this look more believable.” She spoke as she looked over the scene before her. “He got loose, no one saw it coming. There was a struggle. He unfortunately managed to get the guards before you subdued him. But that doesn’t work unless...” 

She didn’t need to finish her sentence, War simply nodding as she raised one of her men’s guns again. Madalena braced herself for the impact, knowing she’d have to look at least somewhat banged up for this lie to be sold well, but when the gunshot sounded, Madalena felt nothing. Instead she heard War grunt, and she opened her eyes to find her bodyguard on the ground, her hand clutching her side.

“Idiot!” Madalena hissed, though she wasn’t sure if War heard her. “Get up.” She hoisted the redhead up by her collar, feeling only the tiniest shred of pity for the woman at her feet. But there was no room for affection, not yet. Business first. Madalena’s face showed little to no emotion, every bit the cold-hearted mob boss. “I can’t walk out of this clean either, remember?”

War nodded slowly, not wanting to admit another fuck up. Madalena could tell she wasn’t going to get another word out of the other woman. Normally, War shutting down like this would worry her, but she had no time to dwell on that. “We’ll talk about how this situation occurred later. Now, I need you to make it look good.”

Cold eyes watched the taller woman for a moment, and Madalena supposed she could take some solace in the fact that her lover was too far gone to keep any emotional attachments from doing her job. It didn’t surprise her when a fist collided with her stomach, causing her to double over in pain, a move which was swiftly followed by another fist to the side of her head. 

War painfully bent over, her hand clutching her side once more as she picked up a guard’s pistol and released a round into Madalena’s thigh. She watched the other woman curse loudly, struggling to stay standing in her heels, before looking around the rest of the room. It was definitely one of her better cover ups, if she didn’t count any damage to herself (and she never did). Sure, it was nothing compared to Famine’s usual handiwork, but it would do. At least for now.

Content with the staging, the assassin took her gun back from it’s spot in Madalena’s belt, holstering it before opening the door to let them out of the room. She could hear Madalena on the phone behind her, undoubtedly calling for a physician for herself. Normally, stitching Madalena up was War’s job, but the redhead doubted the other woman trusted her enough to let her near her now. 

The thought that Madalena might be worried for her wellbeing never even crossed her mind.

She clutched her side as she dragged herself up the stairs, putting pressure on the wound in her side to diminish the blood loss. She was vaguely aware of Madalena speaking, but her voice sounded hushed. Odd, considering her lover had rarely been quiet. If anything, War had assumed Madalena would be boiling with rage, yelling at anyone and everyone in sight. She stumbled, but used her free hand to bat away the arm that had reached out to support her. She wasn’t sure who it belonged to, but she doubted it was Madalena, and she refused to let anyone else touch her right now.

Her vision blurry at best, she made it all the way upstairs before realizing just how much blood she’d lost. The last thing she heard was a door open, and a frustrated scream, the redhead blacking out before she ever hit the floor.

********

When she opened her eyes, she was in a bed, sunlight streaming through the window. She could tell by the sheets that it wasn’t her own; at least, not the one officially assigned to her. Considering the number of nights she’d spent in this particular bed, it might as well be her own. She felt like she had been hit by a train, but she sat up regardless, ignoring the way her shoulder ached as she lifted herself up.

Someone had clearly patched her up, and they’d done a pretty good job at it. It hurt a little to breathe, her broken ribs definitely still broken, but the gunshot hadn’t done any real lasting damage as far as she could tell. Other than a stiffness and an overall ache in her body, she didn’t feel so bad.

She had been about to move to get up from the bed, when a familiar voice sounded.

“Good, you’re awake.”

War looked up to see Madalena entering her room, her face displaying a level of detachment War hadn’t seen in months. The bruises War had left on her body last night were clearly visible, nor did she miss the slight limp in Madalena’s step, and War was sure that if she’d slept at all last night, it hadn’t been in a bed. She tried to fill in the blanks, imagining Madalena sitting by her side, watching over her after she’d gotten herself patched up. Maybe she fell asleep at the desk across the room, working away while she watched over War.

An unbridled image popped into her brain of Madalena relieving her stress some other way, dragging the physician into some other room the moment War was out of the woods, strong hands on soft skin…

War pushed those thoughts away best she could, though the image lingered. In her current state, War wouldn’t even blame her. She should have felt worse for hitting her… part of her did. Part of her was too preoccupied thinking about how her mistakes reflected on her work, or her position here. For the most part, however, she just felt numb.

Madalena had been studying War for a few seconds, waiting to see if she got any sort of answer out of the redhead. When none seemed to come, she just sighed, turning her back on the other woman as she made her way back to her desk. “We’re meeting with your old boss in an hour. Try to look presentable.”

It was very much the pot calling the kettle black, Madalena being all too aware of the mess she was looking like. She had barely slept a wink last night, worry and anger keeping her awake. Because this should not have happened. The exact reason she had War by her side was to prevent these things from happening. Sure, accidents happened, but this was more than that. This was, for the most part, preventable, at least in regard to her lover’s injuries.

_ Honestly, Red, your shoulder was already much too banged up for any of this nonsense. _

As their physician moved to help Madalena, knowing the hierarchy of their household, Madalena stopped him, glaring at the man to for the love of god patch up the redhead at their feet  _ right the fuck now _ . Because she refused to lose War to something as stupid as a lousy Valencian lackey, or worse; her own stupidity.

Instead, as their physician worked on War, Madalena had decided to patch herself up, growing more and more angry by the second. Because if War hadn’t been so fucking stupid or impulsive, if she had just allowed Madalena to take the lead on this, then maybe the man currently working on War could actually have patched her up first. 

It was a selfish desire, but selfishness was the only way Madalena knew how to keep even remotely sane.

When she was done stitching up the bullet wound, holding an ice pack to the side of her face, she’d spent the rest of the night in their room, working away and staying by War’s side as she slept. She had refused to let anyone else take care of the other woman, yelling at anyone who tried, though most her household had known better than to argue. She vaguely recalled getting maybe an hour’s sleep, waking up with ink smeared on her cheek at around 5 in the morning, but she’d just wiped that away and gone back to work, as soon as she had been satisfied that War was still resting.

As she sorted through her papers, she could hear War getting up from the bed, not even a grunt of acknowledgement as the other woman walked past her and into their walk in closet to get changed. For perhaps the first time, Madalena was glad Famine was due to visit in an hour. Despite being her former employer, he was the closest thing War had to a brother, and if anyone could drag War out of her current mindset, it was him.

Much like everyone in Madalena’s life, Famine did not take well to bullshit. And Madalena knew at least part of War would be happy to see him.

Sighing, Madalena slammed the file she’d been reading shut - more info on the Valencians, the brunette hoping to figure out the best way to get her retaliation on the family - before getting up and following War. She probably had to fix her own outfit as well, something she hadn’t had the chance to do since last night, but she couldn’t really bring herself to care. Still, she supposed she had to make a certain form of good impression on Famine, so she got out one of her more classy dresses, getting changed in the same room as War did.

(They’d been sleeping together for over a year now, there was no use in modesty).

War, who kept more than a few dresses in the walk-in closet in Madalena’s room, had found an all black outfit, and the two got changed in silence, War barely sparing Madalena a second glance, even though she wanted to. She didn’t do well when her and Madalena weren’t on speaking terms, and part of her wanted nothing more than to turn around and beg forgiveness. But there was still this emptiness, this numbness she didn’t quite know what to do with, stopping her from finding the right words.

Stopping her from finding any words.

“I understand that you are angry with me, ma’am.” She eventually spoke, and the second she used Madalena’s title she knew it had been the wrong thing to say. Sure, they kept a professional distance at times, keeping up the facade that their relationship was one of nothing more than convenience, but they were alone now. And there was nothing Madalena hated more than War using her title when they were alone. 

“That’s just the fucking point, isn’t it?” Madalena asked, looking over at War with a sharp glare. “I’m not angry with you. Not for what happened, at least.” Okay, that was a lie, she was definitely also angry about that. “But you acting like you’re some fucking martyr is what’s really pissing me off right now.”

Feeling her anger get the better of her, she shook her head, moving away from the mirror and walking towards the door. “We’ll talk about this later. Can’t keep Famine waiting.”

War didn’t say anything in response to Madalena, keeping her mouth closed as she followed behind her, masking the pain she felt. Uncertain as she was of where they stood, Madalena was right; there were more pressing matters to think of. She would just have to push through until then.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We're introduced to Famine, and him and Madalena have a talk about everyone's favourite impulsive redhead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No updates for months and then 2 in 24 hours. Good thing there's only like 3 people reading this and one of them is me.

It was a good thing Famine was punctual to an almost annoying degree, as Madalena wasn’t sure how much more of the tense silence between her and War she could bear. When they’d finally reached the foyer, the man was already waiting for them, his gaze immediately picking up on the injuries both of them carried.

He stepped forward to greet Madalena, the two of them going over the usual show of shaking hands and kissing cheeks before Famine focused his attention on War, concern covering his face. 

“War.” He reached down, cupping the smaller woman’s face and tilting it up to better look at the damage. “What have you done to yourself?” His tone was very blunt, but they could see the worry in his eyes. Despite everything, War was his sister - by bond, if not by blood - and he did not like seeing her get hurt.

“We had an incident last night.” War replied, her eyes quickly flicking over to Madalena, unsure of how much the brunette wanted her to share. “I was not at my best.”

Famine simply nodded, letting go of the smaller woman’s face. He could tell from the way she held herself, arms crossed around her waist, that War was shaken by what had happened. He’d seen her like this a few times before, and judging by the way Madalena was watching the two of them, she too knew something was off, even if Famine was sure she didn’t know the finer details.

He did, though. He knew that War would spend her time punishing herself, overworking herself to the point where she ran herself into the ground, all the while bottling up her emotions and shutting herself off to everyone around her. 

He wondered if War was aware of the fact that, had anyone else behaved the way she supposedly had, Madalena would not be looking at them with an expression that could almost be confused for worry.

Famine took a step forward, placing his hand on War’s shoulder in an almost brotherly fashion before setting his attention back on Madalena. “I severely doubt that we will be having our meeting in a hallway. After you.”

Madalena couldn’t resist rolling her eyes at the other man’s sass, but simply motioned for the two horsepeople to follow her, leading them up the stairs towards her ex-husband’s old office. It wasn’t fully cleared out yet, some of his old stuff still lying around, but Madalena didn’t really care. She was still angry, and at least this way if she broke something it wouldn’t be anything she’d regret.

Taking her seat behind the desk, she motioned for the guards to wait outside, War shutting and locking the door before taking her place by Madalena’s side. She was functioning mostly on autopilot, her body going through the motions on muscle memory alone, but she felt some comfort in Madalena’s presence. Had circumstances been different, Madalena might have reached for her hand, her touch sometimes enough to ground War and bring her back from wherever her mind had taken her. But she knew she’d fucked up too much to have earned her lover’s forgiveness. Instead she just watched as Madalena motioned for Famine to sit down, her voice all business laced with anger as she crossed her legs and fixed her steely gaze on Famine.

“I have a proposition I want to discuss with you, what with my husband’s unfortunate passing and all.” 

Famine snorted loudly at the word ‘unfortunate’, knowing full well how Madalena had despised her husband, and even Madalena couldn’t resist a smile at that reaction. Most people had become quite good at pretending that Madalena had been loyal to Richard, but Famine had never been one for pretense.

He had dealt with young women like Madalena before, all ambition wrapped up in a pretty package. They thought they could get whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted, and didn’t deal well with someone saying no to them. Famine had assumed Madalena to be no different, and had tried laughing her out of the room the first time War brought her to speak with him.

He had assumed he had succeeded, until his next shipment didn’t come in. ‘Delivery Issues’, the kind where his trucks had been rerouted to drive straight off the pier into the ocean. It had postponed his CHOW launch by a month, costing him hundreds of thousands in lost revenue, and when he had finally come back to his mansion, he found Madalena sitting behind his desk, War every loyal by her side.

“I think we’re ready to have that talk now, right?” She’d asked sweetly, and Famine had smiled and curtsied, complimenting War on her excellent taste in women. It had been the beginning of maybe not a friendship, but a solid relationship based on mutual respect.

“I have a feeling I know what this is about.” He shifted in his seat, rolling his neck for a moment before fixing Madalena with a cold stare. “You want to fast track our agreements, and possibly alter your husband’s now that he’s out of the picture. Either way, you want my help. Off the books. Because I know…” He finally turned his attention to War, the younger woman with a mirror image expression on her face. “…what you both have done.”

If he was trying to intimidate them, it wasn’t working, Madalena simply raising a brow at Famine, daring him to judge her for what she had done. For what they both had done. Famine merely raised his hands in mock defense, making it clear he had no qualms with their actions. There was no love lost for anyone in this room; they’d all had their problems with Richard.

Still, Madalena was aware of the fact that Famine was referring to more than just the murder of her husband. Word traveled fast if you had spies in every corner, and Famine was the most well-connected man she knew. If anyone would be the first to hear of the Valencian girl’s murder, it would be him. This also meant Famine could make her little plan fall apart just to spite her. Of course, Madalena still had War as leverage over him, but how much worth did that claim have, really? Their relationship was the worst kept secret in this world, and if Famine had seen through this well thought out scheme to take the Valencians out of the running for good, then surely he knew how Madalena felt about War.

She tried not to let those worries show, focusing instead on the task at hand. “Indeed. I know my husband was the one to make the initial arrangements regarding our treaty, but it is no secret that he and I did not see eye to eye on everything.” To put it mildly. “I still hope to keep the treaty in tact - I have no problems with you, or your family - but I did want to propose a few changes.”

Famine nodded thoughtfully. “You are referring to his business at the docks.” Nobody in the room missed the slight change in War at Famine’s words, though Madalena was wise enough not to acknowledge it. Famine, for his part, did, and motioned for War to approach him. “Carmen, would you please excuse us for a moment?”

War didn’t like the idea of leaving Madalena’s side, even if she knew she would enjoy listening to whatever business her friends wanted to discuss even less. She looked back at the brunette for some sort of approval, receiving a brief nod and a small smile, which set her at ease just a little. “I’ll be outside.” she mumbled, leaving her place by Madalena’s side to walk towards the door. As she walked past Famine, she placed a hand on his shoulder, which the other man covered with his own. Madalena was aware that the two of them were having a full length conversation without speaking a word, and she didn’t interrupt them.

The moment the door shut behind War, the conversation continued.

“I’m sorry, your majesty, but that specific business venture is a tender subject with her. Now; What do you have in mind?”

Madalena nodded in understanding, even if she had no idea what could have gotten War so rattled about just another drug operation - even if they were pharmaceutical grade rather than basic narcotics. “I think you’ll be surprised to learn I plan to end that particular side-business of my husband’s.” She spoke. “There’s not nearly enough money in those products, and we’re better off using those resources elsewhere. However, from what I know about this agreement our families have, a lot of it was based around that venture somehow. So I have a counter offer.” 

Madalena leaned forward a little, as she spoke. She knew War trusted Famine, and she knew Famine cared about War, and she also knew both of them had hated her husband as much as Madalena had. As a result, she could assume she had the other man’s support, especially considering the abolishment of the scheme. But Raven Sable was still a force to be reckoned with, and Madalena knew full well she couldn’t just assume anything in this business.

“Rather than protection for that business, I request your silence and your support in this takeover. I know you are aware of how I acquired my new position, and I suspect you are also aware that what happened to the Valencians wasn’t the Hortentians’ fault. However, as the scapegoats for these high-end murders, they can now be wiped off the map, reducing the 5 families to 4. It will make the city more manageable for all of us.” Looking at Famine, Madalena saw him consider this. She knew she didn’t need to persuade him any further; he was a clever man, and the Hortentians had been a thorn in his side for longer than he cared to admit. But they both knew Madalena had a nasty habit of backstabbing her business partners, so she spoke again, ensuring once and for all that Famine knew she had no interest in betraying him… Yet.

“I’m willing to release Red from her duties here, no questions asked, if that’s what it takes.”

She knew that offer was, in all practicality, an empty one. War had never taken kindly to being a bargaining chip, and Madalena knew she had the redhead’s loyalties no matter what. Still, she knew Famine would see it for the symbolic gesture it was.

The other man nodded, seemingly accepting the agreement. As shady as he knew Madalena to be, he knew she wouldn’t lie to him. At least, not at the moment. Not if she was bringing War into this. 

“You could do that…” he replied, smiling at Madalena. “But I know her. She would never leave your side. I doubt I could even drag her back by force.” Famine chuckled a little at the thought before tilting his head, thinking about the offer one last time. It was reasonable, and the more he thought about it, the less reason Madalena had to wipe his family off the map. Everyone else, sure, but as long as War was around the brunette had no reason to pick a fight with her girlfriend’s family. “Of course, I am very much aware of the events that have unfolded. Although lucky for us, the rest of our affiliates have yet to pick up on it. So instead of a proposal, why don’t we consider my cooperation… a gift?”

That took Madalena by surprise, not used to Famine offering help without wanting something in return. She was about to protest that, when Famine continued. “After all…” He moved to look right into the younger woman’s eye. “… you _ are _ taking care of my dear sister.”

“Are you sure about that? Because lately it seems she doesn’t want anything to do with me. She-” Madalena caught herself, quickly shaking her head as she chastised herself for letting her emotions get the better of her. This was not the time for that.

“Never mind. I can count on your support, then?”

Famine nodded, even as he seemed amused at how easily Madalena had lost her composure earlier. Neither her nor War seemed to deal with their affections for each other very well, and it was proving to be a constant source of entertainment for the man. At least, at times where he didn’t have to clean up their messes.

“Good.” Madalena sighed, trying to think if there was anything else she planned to discuss. “I think that’s all I had in mind…”

“Is it?” Famine asked, knowing full well Madalena hadn’t called him in here on short notice just to discuss business. He hadn’t missed how the brunette had glanced at the door at least every 2 minutes while they’d had their conversation, and he certainly hadn’t missed her little temper tantrum about her girlfriend not paying attention to her.

“Yes, it is.” Madalena shrugged, clearly pretending like she wasn’t thinking of a ‘subtle’ way to bring up War again. “Though, maybe… I mean, it’s not important, I don’t really care, but it’s becoming a security issue, so maybe I should-”

“You want me to talk to War.” Famine finished for her, deciding to put Madalena out of her misery.

The brunette nodded, her gaze softening just a little. “Something has been bothering her, and you know she doesn’t talk to me about it. She never does.” And there was that anger again, that bitterness, that absolute certainty that War still didn’t trust her, despite everything. “But she needs someone. You, possibly. I don’t know. Or care.”

Famine rolled his eyes at that last statement. Try as she might to deny it, it was painfully obvious just how deeply Madalena cared for War. And in turn, War was hopelessly devoted to her queen. He hadn’t been lying when he said he doubted he, or anyone, could willingly drag War away from Madalena.

“She needs you more than you know, Madalena. This business involving your husband...” Famine paused turning just slightly to stretch his senses to know War was still on the other side of that door. The man seemed to shift, like an immense weight had just settled around him. “It runs very deep with her.”

He paused a few seconds before he continued, letting the gravity of the topic sink in around them. There were layers to this, to War, but he knew that certain confessions weren’t his to make. This was his sister’s story to tell. Part of him was surprised that she hadn’t already; she seemed to trust Madalena more than she’d even trusted him at times.

“Well, she hasn’t shown any interest in wanting to share it with me. Or _ anything _ with me, lately.” Madalena sounded petulant, she knew this. She was acting like a child, but right now it was either that or taking her own anger out on Famine. And while that was her preferred outlet, she still needed him. Unfortunately.

Famine had wanted to argue with that, to playfully remind Madalena that it had only been a day. _ Your majesty can deal with being ignored for a day _. But as he was about to open his mouth, he saw a slight shift in the other woman, and wisely closed it again. He could tell Madalena was struggling with more than anger at a job gone bad, and he knew how badly both her and War handled any feeling that wasn’t anger.

Because Madalena wasn’t just angry at War for messing up, or angry at her for shutting her out. She was _ hurt _. And as Famine watched her anger ebb away, he didn’t miss how Madalena curled in on herself just a little. 

“I could have lost her, Famine...” Her voice was quiet, almost uncharacteristically so, and Famine leaned back to let her speak, certain this wasn’t yet the crux of the problem. “I mean, I can lose her every single day, I know this, but this… It could have been prevented. She could have been more careful. _ Should _ have been more careful. She acted rashly, she didn’t listen, and now she’s just shutting down on me. Like I’m nothing to her, just her employer. Like I don’t care what happens to her. Like…” _ Like she doesn’t care what happens to me. Like I don’t need her now more than ever _.

Those last words went unspoken, but Famine heard them loud and clear, his eyebrow raised at the younger woman’s words. Was she really that blind? 

“If you almost lost her, then give her a reason to stay. The reason she goes to those dark places is that she doesn’t truly have an anchor keeping her here.” His words trailed off, thinking about the events that had created his family in the first place. The events that had then torn it apart. It was the main reason he hadn’t cared what happened to Madalena’s ex-husband. The main reason why he had been so easy to dismiss Madalena’s presence upon their first meeting. He hated Richard and everyone in his organization, and he hated Death for selling off his sister to ‘keep the peace’. War’s service to Madalena had been a slap in the face to Famine, and he had assumed that his once strong sister had been reduced to little more than a family pet under Richard’s rule.

It was less than a minute into his first proper talk with the young brunette that he’d seen just how wrong he was. Sure, his hatred for Richard hadn’t diminished one bit, but it had taken just one glance at War to see how she was flourishing as Madalena’s right hand, even despite everything that had happened. She looked at Madalena with nothing short of devotion, and glowed whenever Madalena praised her handiwork. Rather than being held back, War had been offered a chance to shine, something Famine was positive Richard did not know about. 

He’d known even then that it was only a matter of time before War well and truly lost her heart to the other woman. What he hadn’t expected was for Madalena to fall just as hard in return.

He stood up, causing him to tower over the woman who was still seated behind her desk, but his demeanor and expression had softened. “These feelings that you two refuse to confront… you need to. It is chipping away at you, I can see it plain as day, and worse... it’s killing _ her _.” Madalena opened her mouth to argue with him, but he continued speaking before she had the chance. “But if you want her to talk… you will have to be kind. Hard as that is for you. I know what is wrong with her… but it is not my story to tell.”

Sighing, Madalena steeled herself again, regaining her composure. She wasn’t especially excited at being told what to do, or how to handle the problems in her life, but there was no one who knew War better than Famine. And if she wanted to drag her lover out of whatever dark pit she’d put herself in, she’d probably do well to listen to him.

“I’ll look into it. Try to…” She shook her head. “I don’t know. Just try, I guess. Which is more than I can say for her.” And there the bitterness was again. For as much as Madalena often claimed to be heartless and unfeeling, Famine knew the brunette actually cared quite fiercely. He suspected she even cared for him a little, which was why he had offered his help so freely. If Madalena’s plot worked out the way she wanted it to, staying on her good side would undoubtedly provide him with some useful new connections.

Plus, his sister would never forgive him if he let something happen to her.

Famine let out a long exhale, eventually looking back at the door where War waited. He turned, placing both hands on Madalena’s desk and leaning towards her, his voice hushed. “Ask her what happened to Pestilence. But before you ask her, preface it by saying I advised you to probe her on the subject. She will be frustrated, but she will understand. And please, for both your sakes; reign in your anger. It will only make the conversation worse.” 

He straightened up, pulling on his leather coat. 

“And remember; she cares for you. More than you know. The past few years have been the happiest I’ve seen her. Somehow, the only people who don’t see how good you are for each other are the two of you.”

Madalena looked skeptical still, clearly eager to argue with Famine, but she held her tongue. Sure, Famine knew things about War that Madalena didn’t, but the statement that War cared for her still seemed unlikely at best. After all, if War really cared about her, why would she shut her out like that? Why would she treat her like she meant nothing, even in private? 

“... Fine.” She eventually conceded, her tone petulant still. “I’ll try. But if she still doesn’t…” She fell silent, not really sure how to finish that sentence. Because what _ if _ War still refused to talk to her? What if it wasn’t Famine who would be proven right, but Madalena? What if War had stopped trying?

Getting up from her seat, she straightened out her jacket, pushing those thoughts away. “Either way, she’ll be free to go if she pleases. I’m no longer keeping her as collateral.” She spat out that last word with venom. “I don’t want her to stay out of obligation.” 

The ‘_ I want her to stay because of me _’ went unsaid, but was heavily implied nonetheless.

“I doubt even armed guards and you changing the locks could keep her out of your house.” Famine countered, but he smiled nonetheless, opening the door to let Madalena pass first, ever the gentleman. He knew that as far as peace offerings went, Madalena relinquishing War as collateral was as bold a gesture as she could possibly make. But he also saw it for the test that it was. And if his sister failed that test… God help them all.

  
  



	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> War and Madalena have a long-overdue talk, and we find out War might not be as stupid as we thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3 chapters in a single day because it was either this or preparing for a job interview, and who has ever accused me of being responsible.

War turned smoothly as the door to the office finally opened, eyes meeting her brother’s as the man gave her a kind smile and a hug, pressing a kiss to the redhead’s hair. “This too shall pass, Carmen. Remember that… Oh, and try to pull yourself back. If not for me, then for her.”

War glanced over at Madalena, who was standing a few feet away, clearly giving the siblings a moment to say their goodbyes. The redhead swallowed hard and looked up at the taller man, a brief nod being all the non-verbal acknowledgement she was willing to give. “Okay, I’ll try.”

War watched Famine leave, a sad smile tugging at her features for a moment until she realized Madalena was still keeping her distance. She didn’t like that. Not one bit. She wasn’t sure what to do about it, though, uncertain if Madalena could even stand her presence.

Looking over at the redhead, Madalena tried her best to keep the annoyance from her voice. She wasn’t sure if she was succeeding completely, but she was trying, and War at least had to give her credit for that. Angry as she was that War just didn’t seem to give a shit about her, she also missed her, and she knew that if she wanted this to work, _ she _ would have to be the one to swallow her pride.

(The things she did for love).

“Famine suggested we talk. There’s some things I wanted to discuss with you. Would you be up for that?”

“I would… like that, Maddie.” War fidgeted slightly before rolling her shoulders, trying to shake the tension from her muscles, hoping to stop her mind from racing. What had Famine said when she wasn’t in the room? If she was a lesser woman, she might have panicked. Instead, she focused her mind on other things.

“Where would you like to talk?” She needed to sit down, this much she knew. Her side was still throbbing and it was hard to move. Her hands still tight from her scabbing knuckles, the pain in her shoulder was sharp and incessant. 

Madalena felt the corners of her mouth tug up into a smile at the use of a nickname. It was a strong improvement from the distant ‘ma’am’ title that War had been using until then. Maybe there was hope after all. Maybe the redhead did care.

“Thank you.” She nodded, feeling her own rage simmer down a little more. “Bedroom? This is a conversation between us, and I don’t want to be disturbed for it.” She didn’t wait for War’s approval as she turned to walk away, but she did keep a close eye on the redhead, ready to shoot to her side and help her up should her injuries prove too much.

When they reached the room, War sat down on Madalena’s bed, her tough facade dropping just a little as she let out a soft groan as she sat down. She was hurting everywhere, and not just physically. Part of her had wondered, as Madalena and Famine had discussed their own matters, if maybe Madalena was trying to get rid of her. She knew the brunette didn’t tolerate failures, and sending War back to be with her old family was a logical way to get rid of her. But surely if that had been the case, they would have involved War in that discussion…

Right?

She pushed those thoughts aside as Madalena turned to face her, hands clasped in front of her as she looked at War. “Do you want to talk?” The brunette asked. “Or should I.”

War started to fidget again before taking another deep breath and looking up at Madalena, trying to keep her expression soft. “You first. You said that Famine had told you to ask me something?” She still didn’t like that fact, priding herself on being a private person, but she knew Madalena wasn’t going to let this go. The best thing would probably be to rip the metaphorical bandaid off, get this over with as soon as possible. 

Madalena nodded slowly, sensing War’s discomfort as she spoke. “He did. But first, I want to get something else out of the way, in the interest of full disclosure.”

This caught War’s attention, the redhead suddenly alert as she looked up at Madalena, already fearing the worst.

“That agreement keeping you here? It’s off.” Madalena continued, and War felt her heart sink. Was Madalena getting rid of her after all? She could only shake her head as Madalena continued to speak, the brunette explaining that the relationship between their families was now one of mutual trust and understanding. No more human collateral. War could walk out of this room at any time, no questions asked, and Madalena wouldn’t stop her. It sounded nice in theory, but the thought of being forced to leave Madalena just sickened her.

“No, no, I… I don’t want to leave, I’m not going to just-” She didn’t have the words for it, not at the moment. The thought of Madalena sending her away, replacing her with someone else, had upset her more than she thought it would have. She barely even noticed as Madalena sat down next to her, the other woman taking her hand, thumb brushing softly over her bruised knuckles.

“I’m not sending you away, Red. Not if you don’t want to go.” That seemed to calm War a little, and Madalena continued, her free hand lifting War’s chin to make her look at her. “All I’m saying is that I don’t want you to stay just because you feel like you have to. I want to know you’re not just here out of some sick sense of obligation.” 

Meeting Madalena’s gaze, War finally seemed to understand what Madalena meant, the words her lover couldn’t speak out loud clear as crystal on her face.

_ I want to know you’re here for me_.

War nodded silently, and the two women simply sat there for a few minutes, neither breaking their gaze. It was a stalemate of sorts, each of them expecting the other to leave, each of them praying they wouldn’t. When nothing happened, Madalena was the first to find her voice again, seemingly eager to distance herself from her own emotions by confronting War with her own, her next words hitting the redhead like a metaphorical train.

“Tell me what happened to Pestilence.”

So that had been what Famine had mentioned. War stiffened, not yet releasing the taller woman’s hand even as she broke her gaze to stare off into space at some point next to them. It was taking everything she had to stop herself from shutting down again, from getting up and leaving the room. She knew she could; Madalena had just given her free reign to do so. But the underlying message had been clear.

If she left now, there would be no going back. She’d be leaving for good. And she had just all but promised Madalena she wouldn’t do that.

“Pestilence was my brother…” She eventually spoke, her voice softer than normal as she struggled with her thoughts. Memories of wet pavement and holding the blond’s limp body crossed through her mind. Richard had wanted to try and break down Death’s syndicate, so he had staged an attack on his best employees. She remembered how fun it had been at first, watching the bodies fall, laughing and joking with her brothers and betting on who could get the most kills.

Until someone distracted War.

Until a bullet flew in the wrong direction.

She never even noticed her mistake until Famine’s scream hit her ears, Pestilence long dead in his arms.

Lightly squeezing the redhead’s hand, Madalena urged her to continue, and War swallowed thickly, an unfamiliar lump in her throat as she spoke. 

“Your ex husband… He attacked us. He’d wanted Death off the map for a while, but none of us took him seriously. Least of all me. We’d figured out his plan, and… I thought we were prepared. Even if it was just the three of us, we had them on the ropes. I thought we were fine.”

War’s voice was beginning to shake, and Madalena couldn’t deny that it worried her. She had never seen War cry before - hadn’t even known if the redhead was capable of it, to be honest - and that worried her more than anything else. Carefully, giving the woman next to her enough time to move away, Madalena wrapped her arm around the redhead’s shoulder, pulling her into a soft embrace. To her surprise, War sank into it almost immediately, and Madalena allowed her fingers to run through red locks as she waited for War to continue her story. 

“I killed him.” Tears were beginning to fall in earnest now, but War was glad Madalena seemed to ignore that. “I don’t know what went wrong… If someone distracted me, if I thought he was someone else, if he was in the wrong place at the wrong time… All I remember is a series of attackers, and then…”

Famine screaming. Red blossoming on white clothes like flowers. Her smoking gun still aimed at her fallen brother.

“My own brother-” She heard her voice break, glad that Madalena’s only response was to pull her closer, giving War the comfort she craved. Even if she didn’t want to admit it, she needed human contact, squeezing Madalena’s hand lightly even though she was expecting a smack to the face. After all, Madalena didn’t tolerate weakness. And right now, War felt like its epitome.

That night had broken her beyond repair. She’d shut down completely, and despite Death having to physically stop her from going after Richard by herself, War had managed to kill fourteen of his men in the docks only a few days later. Not wanting to fight Richard for his empire, and grieving the loss of one of his prodigies, Death had struck a deal with the man instead, against the protests of War and Famine who wanted nothing to do with the man. Richard had gotten his way, Death bowing out to leave his empire to Famine instead, and War...

Her service had been insult to injury, especially in the beginning. She’d hated having to protect the man responsible for her brother’s death, the man who enjoyed reminding her that it had been _ her _ bullets that killed him. She had spent many a night fantasizing about killing Richard and getting her revenge, on his constant humiliation of her. She might have followed through on those, too, if she hadn’t been so certain Famine would have borne the brunt of any retaliation.

She never expected her salvation to come in the form of Richard’s wife. War had often considered killing her, just to torture her captor, and when Richard had first sent War to function as Madalena’s bodyguard, War had assumed it to be just another menial task that was far below her skillset. Imagine her surprise when Madalena had made it clear in their first 5 minutes together that she had requested War from Richard personally, and that War now worked for _ her _. She could tell War was not being used to her full potential, and the redhead soon learned Madalena planned to groom her into her own personal soldier. Much like Famine, she had initially underestimated Madalena, assuming to simply indulge her power fantasies a little until she found a way to get rid of her. After all, at least this was more fun than any of the other tasks Richard had made her do. But it wasn’t long before War realized just how powerful Madalena truly was. And while her resentment for Richard never faded, her admiration for his wife only grew.

War shook her head, bringing her wandering mind back to present day, where Madalena still held her head in her arms.

“That’s what happened to Pestilence. That’s why I’m like this.”

“I’m sorry.” Madalena said, her voice uncharacteristically soft as her hand moved to rub soothing circles on the redhead’s back. She was never this affectionate, not really. She’d always seen it as a sign of weakness, something that could be exploited. She’d seen it often enough in the men around her, and had vowed from a young age to never get herself in such a position.

Yet here she was, sitting next to War, knowing that despite all those promises she had somehow still managed to find her own weakness. Her one person she would burn entire cities to the ground for without batting an eye. The only person who could make Madalena feel human, in a way.

“Thank you for telling me.”

War took a second and wiped her face once more, frustrated at herself for allowing her emotions to get the better of her. War hated crying, and she was surprised Madalena was even giving her the time of day after that, let alone hold her the way she did. Did that mean that she cared as much as for War she did for Madalena? 

The redhead felt herself calm down, taking a deep breath before tilting her head back to stare up at the ceiling for a moment, not yet wanting to look Madalena in the eye. Not yet wanting to see any potential disappointment on her lover’s face. “No. I never knew how to say it before… I’m sorry.”

She took a deep breath once more, shifting back to finally face Madalena. “It’s been four years since he died. Since I... I’ll shut up about him now.”

“It’s alright.” Madalena spoke slowly, choosing her words carefully. “He was important to you.” Unbeknownst to War, she was valiantly trying to keep her calm and cool facade, her own emotions a thunderstorm in her brain. There was anger, of course there was - at War, at Richard, at herself - but there was also doubt, and worse: betrayal. Because War had been the one to pull the trigger on Richard, ensuring she got the revenge she had undoubtedly spent years dreaming about. Could it really be that her only motivation had been to achieve that goal, using Madalena and her hunger for power as a means to an end?

“I do have a few questions, if you don’t mind.” She didn’t really plan to wait for an answer. War was free to go wherever she pleased. If she didn’t want to answer, she could go, leave Madalena to mend her broken heart in peace. She just needed to know, the doubt still nagging away at her. “Only one, really. I’m sure I’m wrong. I really want to be wrong. But you killing my husband… Was that all this was? Is that why you began shutting me out after the funeral? Because if that’s all…”

Madalena sighed, trying to find the right words to phrase her… feelings. She was fine with _ acting _ weak, with putting on a facade to get what she wanted, but this was real. What she felt was real. And she still didn’t trust anyone - not even War - not to exploit that. “I can’t look at you ever day and wonder if you only think of me as a means to an end.”

The admission caught War off guard, the redhead not even having considered how the situation could have been interpreted, or how everything had worked out suspiciously in her favour. She reached out and gently touched Madalena’s knee, allowing herself to relax into her lover’s touch as she did, breathing in the perfume she had committed to memory by now. 

“If I had killed him in my first year here, then yes.” She admitted, and she felt Madalena’s hand still on her back. “But… I didn’t. And the longer I didn’t, the less I wanted to. I don’t remember when my reasoning changed, but it did. I wasn’t thinking about revenge anymore. All I was thinking about was you.”

Madalena nodded slowly, allowing War to speak. That had been her reasoning too, knowing that if War had been in this solely for her vengeance, she could have acted sooner. She could have used Madalena as collateral, even. Instead, she’d more often than not risked life and limb to save her, to keep her safe. And vengeance missions were rarely long-cons. Nevertheless, she had needed the redhead to say it. She had needed to know, without a shadow of a doubt, that War hadn’t just been using her. That she actually meant something to the redhead. That she hadn’t been letting her guard down for no reason.

“And now?” she asked, her fingers having found their way to War’s hair again. “Where does this leave us now?”

“I don’t know.” War took a steadying breath, swallowing what little bit of her personal pride she could to open herself up just a little more. Because if they wanted to do this right, some ugly truths were having to come to the surface. “I haven’t felt this way about someone- … Ever. I thought I never would. But you… you make me feel like myself again.” She smiled a little at Madalena, shifting slightly to move a little closer.

“Please forgive me for my distance. His death, his funeral, It brought a lot of wounds back to the surface. But I need you to know, I’m staying. For you, not some sense of duty. I don’t want to leave. I’ll stay as long as you still want me… even if this whole ordeal is enough to rip us apart. But I don’t want to leave.” She took a breath, steadying herself before lifting a hand to cup the taller woman’s cheek, locking her eyes with Madalena’s. “I can’t, because I love you. And the more I tried to deny it, the stronger it got.” Her eyes were soft, even if the words felt harsh on her lips. “Please let me love you, Maddie.”

“I forgive you.” Madalena mumbled, slowly resting her forehead against War’s, not yet ready to let herself confront the second half of that speech. It was hard, _ allowing _ herself to feel things. It wasn’t exactly something she let herself indulge in. She’d been on guard around War, hiding all her hurt behind a veil of anger, trying to tell herself that this way, she could pretend War didn’t matter to her. That this way, it wouldn’t hurt when the redhead left, because Madalena gave even less of a shit about War than War seemed to give about her. It was difficult to tear down those walls again, but she willed herself to try, knowing full well she couldn’t do this all alone.

Knowing she couldn’t leave War to do this alone.

“You don’t feel the same way…”

War’s quiet voice was enough to rip Madalena out of her revery, and the brunette immediately moved to face her, green eyes meeting blue.

“You know that’s not the whole truth.” She replied, her hand resting on War’s cheek, forcing her to look at her. “You know me better than to believe you’re like anyone else in my life. It’s just…” She sighed, closing her eyes as she tried to find the words. 

“I don’t want to lose you. _ Can’t _ lose you. You’ve made me care about you, to the point where I don’t know what I’d do without you. And saying it out loud, admitting _ that_… it makes it real. And if it’s real, then that makes you a target. _ You_. Not ‘Madalena’s bodyguard’, not ‘Famine’s sibling’, but you personally. And that…” she breathed out slowly, realizing she’d begun shaking a little. “That scares me. More than you know.”

“I don’t want to lose you either.” War’s voice was quiet as closed her eyes, letting their foreheads stay touching as they were. She had begun chewing on her lower lip again, and she was pretty sure it was bleeding by now, but she paid it no mind. It wasn’t enough to make her ignore the hurt of not hearing the words returned to her. Part of her wondered if she would actually ever hear Madalena tell her that she loved her. She had been working herself up to ask a very important question, but feeling Madalena shake just slightly was enough for her to change things up, to wrap her arms around the taller woman protectively, much like Madalena had done to her earlier.

“But Maddie... I have to know if this is going somewhere. I need to know if I have something worth being careful for. I need you to tell me if you love me, Madalena. Because if you don’t…” Her words trailed off and she swallowed hard, letting out a shaky breath.

Madalena had leaned into War’s embrace almost involuntarily, the majority of her attention focused on not bolting out of the room right there and then. “Why?” She asked, forcing herself to look at War. “Why is it so important to hear me _ say _ it. Why can’t this be enough for you?”

She wanted to say it. She wished she could. War deserved as much. But every time she’d tried in the past, the words had died on her tongue. It was as if there was some form of invisible, intangible barrier, blocking herself from speaking those words out loud.

War searched Madalena’s face, seeing the emotions play across then far more clearly than the other woman probably thought. The taller woman always tried to contain any ‘negative’ emotions, except for anger, but the redhead could see the struggle in her lover’s brain. Still, she had to know for sure. After everything she’d shared today, Madalena had to give her _ something _ in return.

“For the same reason you asked me if I only stayed because your idiot husband made me.”

Madalena had to admit that was fair, even if the thought of willingly making herself vulnerable like that still made her sick.

“I want to.” She eventually breathed out, having curled up in War’s embrace again so she wouldn’t have to look the other woman in the face. “I do. I don’t even know why this is so difficult. I’ve said it before, to people, I’ve just…” 

“You never meant it.” War finished the sentence for her, watching as Madalena nodded. She told people she loved them, had lied straight to their faces about it to get what she wanted, to make men and women believe she’d do anything for them before she stabbed them in the back. But with War, things were different. _ She _was different. 

“Not until now. Until this. _ You_.”

She shifted in War’s embrace a little, careful not to hurt her lover’s side as she moved to take War’s hand in her own. “I want this to go somewhere. I do. The way I feel about you… It’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. But that scares me _ so much_, because what you pulled the other day… I nearly lost you, Red.” 

Was she crying? Possibly. She didn’t even know anymore, too lost in her own inner battle to notice. “I feel it. I know I do. It’s just…” She finally locked eyes with War again, green meeting blue through glistening tears. “Saying it makes it real. And I can’t make this real for me if I’m going to lose you. I cannot lose you, Red. I… I love you too much for that.” 

The words sounded a little forced, the trouble Madalena had with saying them all too apparent. But the way she was looking at War, the desperation in her eyes, the way she was holding on to War’s hand for dear life, begging her to stay… It was enough for War to reach down with both hands, wiping the tears from Madalena’s cheeks before slowly pressing her lips to the taller woman’s. 

She had been crying then, Madalena noted, as War wiped the tears away from her cheeks. Disgusting. She wondered what the redhead must be thinking of her now, seeing her actually crack and crumble a little. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know. Instead, she focused her attention on kissing War, tasting the blood on her lips as she slowly ran her fingers through the redhead’s hair. It was sweet, soft, more gentle than most of their encounters tended to be, and Madalena found she really didn’t mind that all that much.

Before War, she’d wondered sometimes what ‘I love you’ really meant. Sure, she’d associated it with weakness, but she’d also known that wasn’t its true definition. But all the sappy, ‘romantic’ gestures and definitions had never really resonated with her either. They had been nice ideas in concept, but whenever a man had tried to wine & dine Madalena, she’d never really felt much of anything.

(Many had tried, of course, including Richard. Madalena had humoured them, sometimes, but she’d always known that these people would never be more than a blip on her radar)

And then War had come along, and Madalena had gotten herself much too invested, and it seemed she’d finally managed to grasp the concept of what it meant to really, truly love someone. It reminded her of a passage from an old sonnet she’d once read.

_ I really don’t know what I love you means. I think it means don’t leave me here alone. _

She supposed it was as close to a definition as she was going to get, breathing in War’s scent as she tried to compose herself again. She hated crying, hated the sign of weakness, but all the fear and hurt had apparently finally gotten to her. Though again, it seemed only War could invoke those feelings from her.

“Please be careful. Please let that… Let _ me _ be enough reason for you to be careful…” She whispered against her lips.

War nodded, her thumbs still brushing away a few stray tears that were falling from Madalena’s eyes. “You are enough. You’ve always been enough, my queen.” 

“Then promise me.” She carefully let her hand trail over the gunshot wound on the redhead’s side, looking at War with genuine concern in her eyes. “Don’t pull a stunt like the one from yesterday again. Don’t go off alone. Don’t act solely on impulse, especially when I’m there to help. _ Let me help_. I know you’ll always be a target, but don’t take any more risks than absolutely necessary.” Cupping War’s face in her hands, Madalena leaned in again, their lips a breath apart. “I would burn entire cities to the ground if it means keeping you next to me, but I can’t do that if you insist on getting yourself hurt. So please, for me… Be careful.”

“Alright, I’ll be more mindful.” War nodded, her hand reaching up to cover Madalena’s, their fingers intertwining when War suddenly grinned at her. “Maddie, this isn’t your own weird way of asking me to be your girlfriend, is it? I’m still a murderer, you know.” 

It proved enough to break the tension, Madalena sounding almost relieved at War’s teasing tone. “You say murderer like it’s a bad thing.” She laughed, glad for the reprieve of the more serious part of their conversation. “We’re all criminals here. As long as you’re not using your skills to stab me in the back, I think I can live with that.”

That said, as much as she knew War’s comment had been designed just to break the tension and bring things back to normal, she had to admit she had mulled the prospect of actually having her as an official girlfriend over in her head for a while now. Especially after this conversation, putting a label on it wouldn’t really change anything. And besides, everyone already knew how Madalena felt about War; their relationship being the worst kept secret in the organisation. 

“And who knows, maybe it is.” She shrugged, smirking at War. “There are worse people I could date.”

War seemed surprised by that answer, but grinned at her lover, pulling her into another searing kiss. They both knew it wasn’t going to be enough to stop either of them from worrying. Madalena especially was going to be on edge for a while, her temper even shorter than usual. But at least she had War’s word, which meant the redhead would at least try not to get herself killed. And in this business, that was all someone could hope for.

“We’re not telling Famine about this.” War said as soon as they broke apart, and Madalena laughed.

“Gods no. He’ll want to take all the credit for it, and this was clearly all my idea.”

“And what an idea it was.” War replied, pulling Madalena back into her arms, her lips ghosting over her neck. 

They stayed like that for a while, simply enjoying each other's presence, when War suddenly remembered something.

“I forgot to mention… The massacre four years ago down at the docks…” she paused, taking a breath and nodding at Madalena. “That was me. I killed fourteen of your men.” she shifted and swallowed hard, looking back up into Madalena’s eyes. “I’m sorry if… Any of your friends didn’t come home that night.” She hadn’t been sorry at the time, of course, her actions fueled by pain and rage, but it had hit her that maybe Madalena had lost someone important to her that night.

“I suppose I have you to thank for getting rid of my ex, then.” Madalena said, a small smirk playing on her lips. “He was getting handsy. You’d think I’d have learned not to sleep with my bodyguards after that…” She shot War a wink at that, the other woman audibly laughing at the comment. 

“I’m starting to wonder if there’s any of your exes I haven’t killed.” War flexed her fingers a little, still injured and scabbed over. It was uncomfortable but not the worst thing wrong with her, she’d deal with it.

“They had it coming.” Madalena replied, looking up at War with a small grin. “_ Him _ most of all. Knowing what I know now, it feels good, knowing you were the one who pulled the trigger.”

War nodded in agreement, but as she felt her mind begin to wander again, she sighed. “I really don’t want to discuss him anymore. It still hurts some, ya know?” She paused before turning her head to finally press a kiss to Madalena’s hair, lingering just long enough to draw in her scent.

“Alright then. Onwards and upwards.” Madalena mused, the vaguely familiar quote at the forefront of her mind somehow. “We still need to discuss security…” She hated to be bringing that up, but it was an issue they still hadn’t addressed. Because despite their best efforts, someone had snuck in. Someone had found out about their scheme. And that needed to be prevented in the future.

“You’re right.” War’s expression hardened as she considered their options. Granted, she still believed this was her fault. “Personally, I think this was an isolated incident. But I do agree that we need extra precautions in place.”

“It isn’t just that he followed you; it’s that he managed to find his way onto the premises. That should be impossible, especially for a mere Valencian lackey.” She supposed War could be right, that this incident was a one off, but it was a risk she wasn’t entirely willing to take. “If he managed to get in, it will be a breeze for the people from your family, or god forbid; the Hortentians. I expect you’ll interview our employees and find out exactly what happened there? I don’t want to double the guard roster immediately - they’re even more useless on severe lack of sleep - but if that’s what it takes, then that’s what’s going to happen.”

War raised a brow, amused at the other woman’s suggestion. “Unless you have a way to resurrect the men in question, I’m not interviewing anyone. I shot them all in the skull, remember? The most you can have me do is restaff.”

Madalena groaned, having temporarily forgotten about _ that _ particular issue. She ran her hand through her hair, turning her attention back to the task at hand, more than a little annoyed at the fact she’d have to restaff. As if she didn’t already have enough to worry about. “Fine.” She nodded. “I’ll send you a list. Get me some good recruits, and make sure you don’t leave Vincenzo in charge of them. The last thing we want is another Wormwood fiasco.”

“I can get you names, probably physical assessments too, but I’ll need to be healed a little more first.” War smiled down at her lover, moving further onto the bed to rest against the pillows, motioning for Madalena to follow her. 

“There’s enough people on hand to increase security for the next few days, but I’ll need the hiring process done as swiftly as possible.” Madalena spoke, her voice all business and no pleasure, even as she took the opportunity to snuggle back into War’s arms, careful to avoid the worst of her injuries. “I can get you two full days off, four if there’s no incidents, but I’ll need you back after that, even just for hiring purposes. Think you can manage that?”

War then shifted a little, considering the proposal before nodding. “Okay. Just let me know the names.” She hated not being able to work, but she would still be close to Madalena. “Would you be opposed to me bringing in some people I know from my family? It could be a step in integrating the two, if that’s something you’d be interested in. Quietly, of course.”

“I’ll bring you a list in the morning.” She looked up at War when she spoke again, her brow furrowing as she considered the offer. “And you know I’d want to speak to them personally before you integrated them...” Madalena replied, biting her lip as she weighed the pros and cons. “But I wouldn’t be opposed to that, no.”

“I could arrange that. It won’t be a problem.” War replied, nestling herself deeper into the pillows on the bed.

“Good.” The brunette nodded, allowing War to pull her down as she let out a content sigh. “You’re still staying over tonight?” Having the redhead near her helped calm her, somehow, the warmth of her skin and her rhythmic breathing serving as assurances for Madalena that she was, in fact, still there. That at least for now, she was still alive, that they had some times together still.

War smiled to herself at the other woman’s question, , turning her head to press a kiss to Madalena’s head. It was nice, knowing that there was someone in this world who wanted you to be safe and sound every night. Who wanted you by their side. “Yeah. I’m staying.”

Madalena found herself smiling at the gesture, closing her eyes as she leaned against the redhead. War was staying. At least for now, the redhead was staying. They were still a mess, the both of them, and they still had a lot of things to work on, but for once, Madalena actually felt like they could do it. Like they could get there in the end.

(Probably a perk of both of them being stubborn as hell sometimes)

“Do you think I can take the rest of the day off?” She hummed, feeling herself relax as she breathed in the comforting scent of the redhead. “Just stay here with you for a little while longer, let Gareth handle the unimportant stuff…”

War smiled at that, gently stroking Madalena’s hair as she felt the brunette begin to drift off in her arms. It was rare for her to see Madalena so happy, so content, so completely at ease with her surroundings. It was even more rare for War to share that sentiment. All these things had been considered a rarity for so long, especially since Pestilence’s death, yet here she was. War closed her eyes, almost allowing herself to drift off before the questions reached her. 

Gareth…

Her eyes popped open, bright blue eyes set in a seriousness as she stared at the ceiling. “Actually. Wait….” She became quiet for a moment, the puzzle pieces she hadn’t known she’d been missing finally falling into place. “I let him handle the rotations for the past few weeks since your ex-husband’s death. I wasn’t able to do it myself, because… I was with you. With-.” She sat up, quickly, and turned to look down at Madalena, the redhead’s voice a hurried whisper.

“It was him. Gareth let him in.” 

Madalena hadn’t put much stock into War’s words initially, the thought of a quick nap painfully appealing even as she felt the redhead tense against her. Only when War sat up, Madalena unceremoniously losing her human pillow and feeling her head hit the mattress with an annoyed groan, did she realize what War had been saying.

“Fuck me, that lying sack of shit.” 

Her initial instinct was to berate War for not consulting her on putting Gareth in charge first, but she vaguely recalled a few comments being made and Madalena blatantly dismissing her as her attention was very much pre-occupied by getting War out of her clothes and into her bed.

_ Oops _.

Looking over at War, she saw her lover’s eyes blazing, anger slowly boiling over as she made to reach for her holster and blazer. She cursed again, before grabbing War’s hand and stopping her. 

“No. _ Stop _ . You’re _ not _rushing into this headfirst. Last time you did that you nearly died, and he’s probably been planning this. Not as properly as we have, which is where we have the advantage, but you can’t just rush in there. He probably has a few more of my men on his side.” And she felt herself bristling at that, the knowledge some of her ex-husband’s men would kill his wife because they couldn’t see a woman in charge igniting a fire inside her.

Well, at least it seemed she found an outlet for her rage. She was almost looking forward to making an example out of these men.

At least War hadn’t made another move when Madalena had grabbed her wrist to stop her, for once keeping her promise to be careful. Still, her blue eyes were blazing with a fire as she gazed towards the woman on the bed. Realizing the danger the man had put Madalena in, War wanted nothing more than to find him, gut him, and let him bleed out on the floor. But Madalena, her sweet and vicious Madalena, had other plans. She could see them formulating behind those emerald green eyes, and War sat back down on the bed.

“Then what will you have me do?” She still held her holster in her hand, but made no attempt to pull it on. 

“Gather information, see how deep this betrayal goes.” Madalena replied, her gaze meeting War’s. “And call Famine. We’re going to be severely understaffed starting tomorrow, and there’s something the new staff should see.” She knew she had to make an example out of Gareth, as well as out of the men who helped him. She had to make sure everyone knew this sort of betrayal simply wouldn’t do, not under her administration.

Satisfied that War wasn’t going to immediately run off in a murderous rage, Madalena let go of her hand, getting up from the bed herself as she moved to grab her usual set of concealed weaponry. While she assumed Gareth was taking a few more days to implement his coup, she didn’t want to take any chances. War watched Madalena move with studious eyes, taking in the details, knowing exactly what the other woman was going to do. War couldn’t even blame her; it was the same thing she would’ve done, except War would have used fire. Or maybe a sword.

As Madalena armed herself, War pulled out her phone, encrypting it, and finally dialing a number. She didn’t even bother turning away from Madalena, deciding there was no point in keeping any part of this call a secret. If they were going to do this, share everything, now was not the time to hide anything else. “Hello, Brother.” 

There was a pause, War suppressing a smile of her own when she saw Madalena look at her fondly. “Yes, it was good seeing you as well… I’m sorry too… No, no we talked about it.” She rolled her eyes and shifted her weight. “Yes… Yes… Yes we did. Okay Famine… Famine…” She covered the mic with her hand and mouthed ‘He likes you’ to Madalena.

Madalena found herself rolling her eyes in disbelief when War mouthed that apparently Famine liked her, sincerely doubting that statement as she grabbed a pen and a notepad and scribbled something down.

_ Point. Make it. This is time-sensitive. _

War snorted softly as Madalena held up the note, but complied nonetheless, finally cutting off her brother's 'relationship advice'. “Famine, we need to talk… No, this isn’t about _ that_, this is about work. I need some staff.” 

Madalena smiled as the conversation turned more business-like, the brunette mentally planning out how to best make her next few moves from here. She wondered how difficult it would be to lift Gareth and his men from their beds one-by-one tonight to have them ready for their executions in the morning, and jotted the suggestion down for War to communicate to Famine. Despite the need for a public execution, she wanted the gathering of the men done quietly, as to not give them a chance to spring a surprise attack on them after all. She sat down on the bed as she watched War communicate her wishes, the smaller woman pacing around the room as their plan slowly began to take shape. The conversation eventually concluded quickly with a rare set of I love you and I love you too between siblings, something Madalena could tell made War feel more at ease.

“It’s been arranged.” The redhead walked over to Madalena, pushing her phone back into her pocket and taking the taller woman’s hand. “I’m going to meet our lovely new staff in about 30 minutes near the back entrance. I sense that you would like to use them immediately for one reason or another.” 

“In a way…” Madalena hummed with a smile, pressing a soft kiss to War’s cheek. “Thank you.” She smiled, and if War’s heart skipped a beat, that was for her and only her to know.

“I was also told to tell you that he really likes you…” War added, smiling at Madalena. “And also that to let you know that if you break up with me you will end up in not just one river, but several. Sooooooo…”

“Whatever would I have done without his approval.” Madalena rolled her eyes, but War could tell her lover seemed glad that Famine supported them, even as the taller woman grimaced. “Don’t tell him I told you, but he actually scares me sometimes, I just need you to know that.”

Her smile shifted from happy to mischievous as Madalena’s comment sank in. “Where do you think I learned to scare people?” She gently nudged Madalena’s chin with her fingertips, leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to the taller woman’s lips before taking a moment to put on her shoulder holster and blazer, fighting with her lapels for a moment given her bum arm. Madalena took the opportunity to glance at the time, only to grimace when she realized it was barely 4PM.

Shit. 

She assumed they’d need a little more time to gather the necessary info before she could put the new staff to work, and it wouldn’t do for a bunch of new faces to be wandering the halls for no reason. Turning back to War, she helped her lover with her holster.

“Do you think you could bring your men to the bunkers? Apologize for the inconvenience, but if I bring in the new men before I’ve filtered out the rats, the vermin might spook. Assure them they’ll be catered to their every whim, and they will be well-compensated for their time.”

War considered this, knowing full well that it wouldn’t be difficult to intercept her people before they ever reached the mansion. “I know these men personally. Most of them, at least. It wouldn’t be hard for me to make a call and tell them to go hang out somewhere for a couple hours until lock down.”

“If you could, please. I don’t want them to know we know, so I need their capture done quietly. The last thing we need is more staff deaths due to infighting.” Turf wars were bad enough in and of itself. If Madalena got her employees fighting inside the house… With War the way she was, that would certainly not end well.

War nodded in agreement, even as she couldn’t resist stealing another kiss from her lover’s lips. “Care to tell me what devious and murderous plan if running through that pretty head of yours?” Her eyes flashed for a split second. “You know it drives me wild when you talk dirty.” 

Madalena rolled her eyes at that, before placing her hands on War’s shoulder, pulling her in and making the kiss last a little bit longer. “Patience, lover.” She grinned, pressing a kiss to the spot just below her ear before continuing. “You know the rules about business and pleasure. You give me the information I need, and I’ll tell you all about what I have in store for tomorrow.”

“Ooooooooo.” War tilted her head up just slightly, allowing herself to watch Madalena, a glint in her eye. She was always so attractive when she was utterly determined like this, so maddeningly beautiful. It always made War want to worship her like the queen she was. “I like the agreement.” She hummed, licking her lips as she tried to get Madalena to kiss her again.

Madalena just pulled away, her arms wrapped around War’s neck as she kept her lips mere inches from her lover’s. “Don’t you worry. You’ll get your fun, I promise. But for now, I’m going to need you to behave for me. Can you do that?”

“Fine, I’ll be good… and we’ll take care of this. Give me a kiss and I’ll make another phone call.” She brushed her lips against Madalena’s, misbehaving just slightly as she wrapped her good arm around the taller woman, pulling her closer. As badly as she wanted to just walk up to the old man and sink a blade between his ribs, it wasn’t her place. This was her queen’s empire, her business, and she’d respect that. 

“I better make it a good one, then.” Madalena chuckled, still smiling as she kissed War, her fingers playing with a few loose curls at the nape of the redhead’s neck. Teeth lightly scraping over the redhead’s bottom lip, Madalena pulled back again, an oddly content look still lingering on her face. 

“Now go.” She nodded, placing her hands on War’s shoulder again. “And remember; quiet and careful.” 

She was about to let go and leave War to it, when she seemed to remember something. “Oh, and one more thing,” She added, before cupping War’s face in her hands and pressing another searing kiss to her lips. “You’re not dying for anyone but me. Got it?” She really was going to have to work on the ‘I love you’ thing, but it was a start, at least.

War returned the kiss with equal fervor, savoring the feeling before taking a breath once they drew themselves apart. War knew what the older woman meant, the true meaning behind the words, but she didn’t question it; she merely agreed. “Of course, my queen.” 

“Good.” Madalena flashed her a smile, a genuine one, one of equal parts bliss and apologies that she couldn’t be better, that she still had things to work on. But it was a start. It would have to do.

War got up from the bed as she started to fish out her phone once more. “I’ll be back in a bit.” 

Double-checking she was sufficiently armed, Madalena followed War out of the room, knowing she had her own work to do lest she arouse suspicion. “I’ll be in the office.” She nodded, picking up her own phone from the desk and pocketing it. “Let me know when you know more, and I’ll talk to you later.” She wanted to warn War again to be careful, but she felt like that might be pushing it a little. She didn’t want to hover too much. Plus, she trusted the woman to take care of herself, trusted War to do what was best.

(Still... there was something disconcerting about knowing the person you loved was going off to do something potentially dangerous when they had a short temper and were already injured).

War seemed to be able to read Madalena’s thoughts as she caught her by the hand before she had gotten too far away, taking a moment to pull her back into a soft kiss before releasing her. “I’ll see you later.” She replied, the both of them acknowledging it for the promise that it was.

With that, War turned to leave, pulling out her phone and sending a text to the new staff to wait for her. They would probably just hang out somewhere in the district, and they would not be pleased with their temporary housing arrangements, but she would deal with that later. For now, she had rats to catch.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Banter is had, and rats are caught.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I post multiple chapters a day or nothing for weeks, there is no in between.

It was a few hours before War returned to the mansion, and Madalena was pleased to see that for once she didn’t look worse than when she left. Not that she’d anticipated War to be attacked by her own men, but a lot of things were happening that she hadn’t anticipated lately, and with how reckless her lover could be…

But the redhead was fine. She had done her job, informed her men, and - with Madalena’s help - had located everyone in their own organisation involved in Gareth’s coup. Luckily, the leak was fairly contained. From their best judgement, while the majority of Madalena’s employees could be swayed to join Gareth just to save their own skin, there were only a handful who strongly opposed the woman. It hadn’t taken long at all to find those men, disappointingly so, but now everything was falling into place as War was sitting on Madalena’s bed, discussing their plans with her.

“How many men per rat, would you say, if I wanted them taken quietly?” Madalena asked, going through the personnel files as she sat on her bed next to War.

“Well, these are my men.” War grinned, her fingers tracing patterns on Madalena’s thigh in a thinly-veiled attempt to distract her. “A one-to-one ratio should be fine, but we’ll black bag them.”

“I’m not sure I like your cockiness.” Madalena chuckled, though in truth, she knew War was probably right. While her men were good, none of them had been trained by Death and his people, so while War’s arrogance was annoying, it was also justified.

War just grinned at her, her hand sliding up Madalena’s leg. “I thought you liked my co-”

“Not now.” Madalena playfully scolded her, batting War’s hand away as she turned back to the files in front of her. War rolled her eyes in response, but relented, instead scooching over to look over the brunette’s shoulder.

“So, what do you need?”

“Tell your men to be at the back entrance at 2:30AM. I want them captured and locked away; they’ll be made examples of the next morning. Until then…” Madalena looked over at War, stealing a quick kiss from her lips, “_ you _ are going to get some sleep.”

War grumbled in response, laying down on the bed as she sent the needed text to her contacts. She had no interest in sleeping right now - there was too much to do - but she also knew it was useless to argue the point with Madalena. 

“Fine.” She sighed, placing her phone in the nightstand. “They will take care of it. But the only way I’m staying in this bed is if you stay here with me. I’m not letting you have all the fun.”

Madalena actually managed to shoot her a sympathetic smile as she noticed the pain War was in as she moved, the brunette leaning over to place a soft kiss to the redhead’s lips. “Alright. If you give me a few minutes to ensure I’m done for today, I’m all yours.”

Getting up from the bed, Madalena grabbed her phone from the nightstand, placing a few calls and shooting out a few texts as she watched War, mouthing ‘sleep’ to the redhead.

She scrunched up her nose in response, visually protesting sleep as she struggled to pull off her jacket and kick off her boots before shifting back on the bed a little further. War mouthed ‘hurry up then’ to Madalena, shooting her a wink before nestling herself back into the pile of pillows Madalena kept on her bed.

Madalena flipped her off in response as she finished her final phone call, though an amused smile played on her face all the while. It felt nice to be in this comfortable rhythm with War again. The verbal (and non-verbal) sparring was familiar, and as Madalena hung up the phone and set an alarm for 2AM, she wondered how long it would last.

Placing the phone on the nightstand, she stretched a little before sitting down on the edge of the bed, laying down next to War and pulling the redhead’s good arm around her. “There.” She hummed, turning over to face War. “All yours. _ To sleep _.” She added, interrupting War before she could make a comment about other activities they could be doing in this bed. “You’ve got some recovering to do.”

War looked for a second as if she might protest, but then sighed, pulling Madalena closer instead. She couldn’t really roll over without hurting either her shoulder or her side anyway, and her eyes had started to feel heavy, as if the events of the last 48 hours were finally taking their toll. All in all, War was still recovering from exhaustion and blood loss, her body having been through a lot. Not only that but she wasn’t as sharp as normal… her mind was fried. She turned her head just enough to press a kiss against Madalena’s forehead. “You win. I’ll sleep.”

“Thank you.” Madalena hummed, a small smile playing on her lips as she gently reached up to play with War’s hair. Madalena herself wasn’t nearly as tired as War, but she had to admit, even just laying there with the other woman in her arms - her girlfriend, and wasn’t that just a first for Madalena - was nice. More than nice, even. Despite the current situation at hand, Madalena found herself oddly calm, something she strongly attributed to War’s presence.

She closed her eyes as she felt War kiss her forehead, that feeling of happiness and bliss spreading throughout her body, Madalena realizing she was allowing herself to feel that a little more now that they had cleared the air like that. Now that she realized that this, them, had been inevitable for a while now. And even if it wouldn’t last, it was probably best to enjoy it while she could. And with that thought on her mind, even Madalena eventually drifted off to sleep, comforted by the steady rise and fall of War’s chest.

  
********

War woke up in a start, her alarm on her phone ringing just enough to wake her. The redhead rubbed her eyes before opening them, blindly reaching for her phone before sending the correct messages to the right people. She then looked over to Madalena’s side, finding that the other woman had already woken up and was seated at her desk across the room. It wasn’t like the desk in her office, but it was still something the redhead liked as a piece of furniture. Her mind then went back to the task at hand. “How long did you rest, my queen?”

Madalena placed her pen down as she turned in her seat to smile at War. “A couple of hours, but I’m not the one with the near-fatal bullet wound.” The one in her leg barely even hurt at this point, War having hit her with almost surgical precision to avoid any serious damage. It meant she hadn’t needed nearly as much sleep, and had woken up a little after midnight to the realization it would be pointless to try and sleep again. If she wanted to be alert for the upcoming events, it wouldn’t do for her to be woken up in the middle of a REM cycle. Still, she hadn’t felt like getting up immediately, instead watching the redhead sleep for a short while. War looked almost peaceful while she was asleep, younger, softer, in a way. It was a side she didn’t often get to see, but one she found she appreciated nonetheless.

Getting up from her chair, she walked over to the bed, sitting on the edge of the mattress as she placed a hand on War’s leg. “How are you feeling?”

War sat up, stretching as best she could with her bum shoulder and tender side, letting out a soft sigh and a slight groan as she rolled her shoulders before standing up. “Much better, still a little sore, but nothing I can’t handle. Did you sleep well?” The assassin smiled warmly as she turned to look at Madalena, walking over and gently running her fingers through the taller woman’s hair.

“Well enough.” Madalena hummed, leaning in to War’s touch. It was nice, this level of affection, something she allowed herself to indulge in more and more as of late. She still remembered a time where she wouldn’t be caught dead in a position like this, this dependent on another person, this at ease with their presence. 

But her Red had always been the exception.

“Any complications so far?” Madalena asked, turning her head to look at War. “I want to get moving in twenty minutes, meet your men at the gates in 25. I have a list of the rooms that need to be visited, and I’ve ensured the halls are cleared for transport.”

“Can and will do. Looks like we’re all good to go.” She took that moment to press a soft kiss to Madalena’s forehead before taking a step back and walking over to the closet to find a new shirt and jacket. She wasn’t about to be un-presentable. 

She slipped on her holster and unlocked her phone, texting her contact with the ETA and the rest of the information before she slipped on her blazer, straightening her black tie as she turned back to Madalena. “Alright. This will be fun.”

“Good.” Madalena grinned, getting up to smooth out her skirt. Much like War, she didn’t want to look unpresentable. In this business, your image was important, and especially as a woman this was important. The men and women they were about to nab already thought of her as less - they wouldn’t have joined up with Gareth if they actually respected her authority - and Madalena wasn’t about to give them any more reason to undermine her.

Walking back over to her desk, she picked up the knife War had given her about a year ago, concealing it inside her jacket. (’no woman should go around unarmed’, War had said). “I can’t wait to see the look on his face.” Madalena smirked, feeling a little excited at the prospect of nailing these traitors this way. It was about time she got to properly show her people that no one messed with her without paying for it.

“Neither can I.” War grinned, checking the details on her phone one last time. “Shall I go first? Two of my associates are waiting for us, the rest are at the point.” The redhead walked over to the side table, picking up her weapons of choice, slipping the brass knuckles on.

“Lead the way.” Madalena nodded, only to grip War’s arm just before she opened the door, spinning her to press another kiss to her lips. War allowed herself to be manipulated and turned back to Madalena, returning the kiss and letting one hand rest at the taller woman’s jaw. She let out a short hum at the kiss, feeling more of her real self return for a split second. Just enough of an anchor. Madalena was good at that now.

“For luck.” Madalena mumbled, a little embarrassed as she pulled away, before steeling herself and becoming all business again. “And remember; we want them alive. For now.”

“I don’t need luck. I have you.” Her voice was low as she smiled against Madalena’s lips for a moment before pulling away to open the door. “But I don’t enjoy you ruining my fun.” She grinned. Then with a wink she walked out the door, her two associates greeting them with a nod as she then discussed the situation with them in a hushed tone before heading down to the service corridor.

Madalena let out a low chuckle at those words, following her down the hallways. “Well, I want to make a proper example out of them. Call me dramatic, but I’ve always liked public executions.” She grinned, her right hand lingering near the knife strapped to her waist as she saw War chuckle in response.

She made sure to make the proper introductions with War’s associates, explaining the context of the plan as she allowed War to explain the finer details. While Madalena was officially the one with the highest rank, these were still War’s men, and War knew best in these situations. Madalena simply provided the list of names, and the keys to the holding cells she wanted them kept in. When everyone understood their role, War silently opened the service access corridor for the remainder of their hunting party. 

This would be easy, simply, unexpected.

They liked that.

War was the first person to lay siege to a door, the unaware man causing a slight fuss before she clocked him one good time and one of her men subdued him… a black bag and a gag silencing any opposition. This continued until everyone of the traitors was apprehended and tossed in a dark room until Madalena was ready.

********

“Should I feel pleased or disappointed in the ease of this operation? Because I truly don’t know.” War’s words were laced with a hint of humor as she directed them towards her girlfriend. “It’s almost a shame, really.”

“Go with pleased.” Madalena spoke bitterly, as she stared at the row of holding cells. “Imagine if I had actually lost valuable employees because of this rat-faced bastard.”

Checking her watch - 5:05AM, the operation had gone smoothly - Madalena turned back to War, wrapping her arms around the redhead’s waist. “We’ve got a few hours to kill. I want everyone lined up by 8AM, but if you need some more sleep…” Madalena dropped a soft kiss to the side of War’s head. “I know those wounds have been bugging you.”

“Look at you, actually being affectionate in the semi-public eye. Dangerous. I like it.” War tilted her head, leaning into the contact just enough as she watched a few of her men avert their gaze. They knew better. They would be respectful. Still, Madalena shot her a glare at that comment, even if she didn’t remove herself from War. 

“If you start teasing me about it…” She sounded a little petulant as she spoke, the semi-threat obvious. Try as she might, Madalena still wasn’t used to actually being affectionate. She wanted to be, sure, and she was making an effort with War, but it still went against everything life had taught her.

_ Love is weakness, Madalena. Humans are vermin, Madalena. Don’t get attached, Madalena. _

She’d broken every single one of those rules with War, but as she glared over at the other men, almost daring them to say something about it, she found that she didn’t mind as much as she thought she would.

“I’m sorry, my queen.” War leaned her head against Madalena’s shoulder, just gentle enough to not be considered _ too _ affectionate. “And it’s my ribs mostly… the shoulder is tight, but that’s pretty much it. Though I’d like to sit down, maybe have a drink… Or ten. Maybe I’ll do well enough to get a reward later?” She chuckled a little at her own words. Fuck it. She deserved drinks after everything. Drinks and sex, if she could coax it out of the other woman. (Though that had never been a problem with Madalena). 

Madalena carefully let her hand graze over the bullet wound on War’s side she knew had only recently been stitched up, a small sigh escaping her lips. She could very easily start on another rant telling her that that had been an irresponsible action to begin with, but that wouldn’t do either of them any good. Instead, she just looked back at War, a small smile on her lips. “You’re incorrigible.” She chuckled. “But sure, I could arrange that. _ Later _.” 

“I love that notion.” Her hands were resting safely at Madalena’s hips, not making any motions to move them in an inappropriate manner. She was still a professional, dammit. The hitwoman knew better than to push her luck when there were new eyes. Well… eyes that were new to Madalena; War had known these men for years. Hell, they probably expected this if she was being honest; she doubted Famine would have kept his mouth shut.

She finally did release Madalena slowly, eyes traveling over to watch the other woman touch her shoulder gently. War knew she needed to rest whether she liked the idea or not. “Shall we retire until it’s time for the show?”

Madalena sighed contentedly, glad War wasn’t pushing the issue as she leaned in to the redhead. In truth, she felt like she could stay here for a while, just reveling in the angry screams of the people they just captured, safe in her lover’s arms. But more than anything, War needed to rest. And if Madalena was being honest, her own wound was starting to bug her. She’d done a pretty good job stitching herself up, but the walking in heels was taking a toll on her. 

So she moved to take War’s hand in her own, before leading them to their room, Madalena pulling a bottle of scotch and a tube of painkillers from her desk drawer, the taller woman immediately downing two of the latter before tossing them at War, who expertly caught them. Madalena herself leaned back against her desk after tossing the pills at War, letting out a small sigh at the relief of no longer having to rest too much of her weight on her bad leg. War really had done a good job selling the con this way, but the damn bullet wound was going to bug Madalena for at least another few weeks.

Taking a few seconds for herself, she then made her way over to the bed, kicking off her shoes before laying down on the soft mattress. “I’m not walking another step in these shoes for the next hour.” Madalena grumbled, rolling over and minding the wound on the redhead’s side as she placed a kiss to her jawline. “How’s your shoulder?”

“Not as bad as my side. Remember? I apparently almost killed myself… like a dumbass.” She pressed her face against Madalena’s shoulder, hiding as she chastised herself. If anyone else had seen War like this… they would have lost all respect for the hardened assassin. But this was Madalena; She was allowed to feel weak around her.

“Trust me, I’m aware.” Madalena sighed, placing a soft kiss to the wound on War’s shoulder. “I was there when you were bleeding out, remember?” A nasty memory, one Madalena would rather not relive. If she was going to go against all her principles and - ugh - _ fall in love _, then she was damn well going to make sure that person was going to stick around for a long time to come.

Still, she soothingly ran her fingers through War’s hair, comforting the redhead a little. Her girlfriend felt bad enough as it was, Madalena wasn’t going to make that worse.

“How’s your leg?” War’s eyes flicked up to search her lover’s face, knowing that she had been the one to shoot her. Con or not, it still made her sick.

“Hurts like a bitch after walking in heels for hours, but that can’t be helped.” Madalena grumbled, before making War lift her head to look at her. “You did a good job on that. Just don’t do that to yourself again.” Her voice didn’t sound as harsh as before, the judgement laced with a good amount of concern for the redhead.

War listened to her words carefully, nodding quietly before leaning just enough to press a soft kiss to Madalena’s lips. “There are a lot of things I don’t intend on doing again. I promise.” She rested against her girlfriend, reaching out to gently put her hand over the bullet wound on Madalena’s thigh.

Madalena rolled her eyes in response, silencing War with another kiss. “You will shoot me as often as I tell you to if it means keeping our cover stories straight.” Madalena reprimanded her, before letting out a small sigh and taking War’s hand in her own.

“Listen, Red…” Madalena let out another shaky breath, meeting the redhead’s blue eyes with a serious and concerned gaze. “I trust you. And in our line of work, certain unpleasant actions are necessary sometimes. We may not like them, but it can’t be helped. But I…” She paused, clearly struggling with her next words. “... love you. As much as someone like me can love anyone. And I trust you to keep me safe, even if it means hurting me in the process. You could even have done worse on that wound there. But I cannot, will not, watch you die because you got careless with your own safety in the process. Is that clear?”

“Crystal. And I…” She swallowed hard and then let out a short breath accompanied with a smile. “I love you too.”

“Good.” Madalena nodded, before letting out a shaky breath, the words still feeling weird falling from her lips. Love wasn’t something the young woman was accustomed to, Madalena mostly repressing any feelings of affection she may or may not have had. But Famine’s words had struck a nerve with her.

The man was right. If she wanted to be with War, it meant making a few sacrifices of her own. Which meant slowly but surely getting over her issues.

She cuddled up closer to the redhead bodyguard, her girlfriend, minding her wounds as she did. “I don’t want to lose you.”

“I don’t want to lose you either.” her words were soft as she relaxed completely, wrapping her good arm around Madalena’s shoulders and keeping her close. She could feel herself drifting off as the pain pills kicked in, closing her eyes softly as she turned her head to bury her nose into Madalena’s hair, enjoying the comforting scent.

“Then we are in agreement on that.” Madalena hummed, feeling the redhead’s breathing slow just a little. Pulling War closer to her, Madalena grabbed her phone, setting her alarms for about an hour later. “Get some sleep, lover.” She spoke softly, kissing the side of War’s head. “Rest. You need it.”

Resting her own head against War’s, it didn’t take too long for Madalena herself to fall asleep either, surrounded by the warmth and the comforting scent of the woman she… well, the woman she _ loved _, if Madalena was being entirely honest. 

********

For once, War woke up first as the alarm went off, reaching over and turning off the ringer on Madalena’s phone before looking over to see the other woman barely stir. Normally she would let her sleep, but the assassin knew that Madalena would be furious if she wasn’t roused.

War pressed a kiss to Madalena’s lips, nuzzling her cheek before easing herself up. “Come on, baby. You have a man to kill.”

Madalena let out a low grumble at that, yawning a little before nodding. “I didn’t think it was possible to hate this guy even more.” She complained, stretching and placing her phone back in her pocket before helping War up from the couch. “I was wrong.”

A little disoriented from sleep still, Madalena plucked her phone back out of her pocket, speed-dialing a number as she wrapped an arm around War’s waist. “Gwynne, you pox-ridden sack of deformities. Assemble everyone at the staircase in half an hour and for the love of god, bring me my coffee. … And a tea.” She added, spotting her lover’s wordless plea for a drink of her own. She then turned to War, kissing her cheek. “Your men are clear to go in 15 minutes. Think they could manage that?”

“They are my men. They can handle anything.” She gave Madalena a confident smile, kissing her softly before removing herself from the taller woman’s embrace. 

“Stop bragging and just get it done.” Madalena countered, stretching a little more before putting her shoes back on, making a face as she stood up straight again. But she’d have to grin and bear it; at least, if she wanted to make an impression.

War, for her part, stifled a groan as she got to her feet, stretching as best she could before relaxing once more, and walking over to find her remaining clothing. Much as she did before, she slipped on her tight gloves, opting to put her dusters into the pockets of her jack instead. War took her own phone, making a quick call to inform her men of the plan, only interrupted by Madalena handing her a cup of tea. One glance over at Madalena’s cup told her that the first thing the brunette had done was down half of her coffee, which the redhead couldn’t blame her for.

When she hung up she turned back to Madalena, winking at her. “So when this is all over… Am I the king to your queen? I mean, I do rock a suit handsomely.”

“You do know the king is the weakest piece on the chess board, right?” Madalena laughed, before kissing her soundly. “But, in a way… I mean, we’d have to discuss a few logistic things, of course, but I couldn’t think of anyone else I’d want to be with.”

“Then I suppose I’m your Knight, as I’ve always been.” She shot the other woman a smile and then backed away to smooth out her blazer.

“You’re so much more than that, though…” Madalena replied, taking a sip of her coffee. “You’re my protector, my confidant, my lover… The one person I trust more than anyone else.”

“Did you just propose to me, Maddie?” War’s tone was joking, even as she reached up and toyed with a strand of the taller woman’s hair before she canted her head to the side, watching her intently.

“As if I’d be the one to propose. I expect you to do that job.” Madalena countered, raising a brow before leaning in to War’s touch.

“That’s dangerous, babe.” She sipped on her tea and then lifted an eyebrow as she looked back Madalena. “Then again, so am I. And I think you like it that way.”

Emptying her cup, Madalena placed it to the side, before smoothing out her skirt and wrapping her arms around War’s waist. “I think you know I do.” She grinned, placing a kiss just below War’s ear. “But I like to think at this point, I know you well enough to know that _ if _ you were going to betray me, you’d at least have the decency to shoot me yourself.” As for the part where this also essentially meant War was Madalena’s weak spot...

Well, the brunette woman would rather not think about that.

“I highly doubt anyone would have the money to convince me to snuff you.” War smirked, her eyes still glinting deviously. As much as she joked about it, though, she knew she would never harm Madalena. She’d fallen much too hard for her.

“I feel like I should be concerned there even is an amount that could convince you to snuff me.” Madalena countered, her tone equally teasing as she smiled at her lover.

“If there was, you should know I wouldn’t use my gun. If I was going to kill you… it would be far more personal.” 

“Really now?’ Madalena hummed, her hands already ghosting over the collar of War’s shirt. “Care to tell me about that in more detail?” It was dangerous, she knew it was. They both had a job to do, there wasn’t time for this. But by god if War’s talk of murder and bloodshed didn’t always turn her on beyond belief. 

“Later.” War replied, a faint smile crossing her lips as her blue eyes cut over and she watched as Madalena drew close, the kiss searing her skin. War loved it to her core… and it set a fire like nothing else. She loved fire. “You’ve got a show to put on first.”

“Later, then.” Madalena caught her before she moved away, pulling War into one last, hard, kiss before they headed out. “Let’s teach them a lesson they won't soon forget.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Madalena establishes dominance. War and Madalena establish their relationship.

The clicking of heels on the cold marble floor echoed through the hallways, signalling the arrival of Madalena to the mass of people gathered below the entrance hall staircase. All eyes were fixed on the row of people gathered at the top of the staircase, men and women gagged and bound, each with their own personal guard behind them. No one dared to speak as Madalena passed them, coming to a stop at the top of the steps, War ever loyal by her side as she looked out over the sea of people.

“Can anyone tell me…” Madalena began slowly, her green eyes scanning the crowd for her main target, “what these people behind me have in common?” She gestured towards the row of prisoners behind her as an uncomfortable murmur went through the crowd. Madalena clasped her hands in front of her as she looked out over her employees, pretending to patiently wait for an answer. War could only smile at the display. She always enjoyed seeing Madalena’s leadership in action, the steel hidden beneath the woman’s deceptively soft exterior. And with her queen standing there, their captives tied up behind her ready to be slaughtered, War was reminded once again why she’d so easily pledged her loyalties to Madalena.

“No one?” Madalena eventually asked, after no one seemed to step forward with an answer. She shook her head, tutting disappointedly. “I suppose I’ll have to pick out a volunteer to answer this question for me, then. Gareth, if you’d be so kind as to come up here.”

This caught people’s attention. Everyone in the crowd was looking around to catch a glimpse of Richard’s former right hand, who was standing stoically in the center of the room, unflinching. Madalena’s gaze was challenging, almost daring him to run, but he met her gaze head-on, unfazed and unmoved.

When he didn’t look like he would approach, War stepped away from Madalena, pushing through the crowd and to his side, taking him by the elbow. The older man didn’t seem at all pleased that Madalena had sent her ‘pet’ - as the man had often referred to War as - to retrieve him, jerking his arm away from War, but the redhead was quicker. She twisted his arm back, applying pressure as she pushed him forward. “Go.” 

Gareth knew better than to protest, and war led him up the steps to stand a few steps below Madalena. As she did so, Madalena turned back to the rest of her audience, a faux-sweet smile on her face. “Gareth here was an old and dear friend of my husband. I’m sure you all know how much he trusted him, and his input. My husband often referred to Gareth as a wise man.” She turned to Gareth, smirking. “So I’m sure he’ll be able to tell us what these people up here have in common.”

The man stayed quiet, and Madalena looked up at War, silently communicating that maybe the man needed some  _ encouragement  _ to speak. When she saw her non verbal go-ahead, War pulled back her arm, a crack resounded as her fist connected with Gareth’s rib-cage. Everyone could tell some bones were definitely broken, and he involuntarily tried to drop to his knees, but War kept him on his feet with one hand. She had always been surprisingly strong for someone her size, and people around her tended to forget that. “Next one will be less pretty.” She warned, and Madalena smiled at War, before looking over at Gareth again.

The man still didn’t seem inclined to speak - the man sure had his pride, she had to give him that - and Madalena rolled her eyes. “For a wise man you’re not very talkative.” She sighed, perhaps acting a little more dramatic than was entirely necessary. “Should I just ask one of the vermin behind me to answer this question for me? If they’re lucky, it may even earn them a pardon.” 

It wouldn’t. They all knew that. No one got pardoned for treason. But Madalena also knew that Gareth had taken too much pride in his own little scheme to let someone else take credit, and taunting the man into a confession was her best bet, even if Gareth still didn’t seem the least bit impressed by her.

“Makes sense you’d need your  _ pet  _ to do the actual work.” The man spat as he tried to catch his breath, glaring at Madalena as he tried to recover from War’s blow to his ribs. “Such weakness.”

Madalena, for her part, managed to stay calm in face of the insults, knowing full well it was meant to bait. She also knew it was meant to bait War, seeing the flash of disgust cross her lover’s face as Gareth called her a ‘pet’. Madalena knew War didn’t respond well to such comments, and she tried to meet her gaze, non-verbally signalling the redhead not to take the bait. Madalena knew that either one of them losing their temper would be the sign of weakness the man was looking for to justify his actions, and she couldn’t afford such mistakes right now. 

War seemed to understand, merely loosening her grip so Gareth crashed to the floor, his knees hitting the hard stone as he gasped for breath. Madalena crossed her arms, raising a brow as she looked at the man beneath her. “Is that meant to be an insult, Gareth?”

“Just a statement of fact.” He gritted out. “You don’t have what it takes to run this business. You’re still a woman, a woman who needs other people to do her dirty work. This organisation needs a strong leader. And I’m not the only one who sees that.”

Well, it was as close to a confession as Madalena knew she was going to get. Smiling sweetly at the man, she nodded in War’s direction, who took the hint and grabbed Gareth by the collar of his shirt. Madalena, for her part, turned to face the crowd below her again. “And with that, we have the answer to the question I posed earlier. Thank you all for playing.”

She let her gaze roam over the crowd for a few seconds, giving her words the chance to sink in, before snapping her fingers. War’s men were efficient, pulling out their blades near simultaneously and slitting the captives’ throats, the corpses dropping down to the marble floor with a resounding series of ‘thuds’ as blood began to pool around Madalena’s feet, running down the marble staircase.

(It was probably a good thing she’d opted for her louboutins today; blood went much more unnoticed under the signature red sole.)

“Let this be a lesson to all of you.” Madalena spoke coolly, noticing from the corner of her eye how Gareth struggled against the hold War had on him. “I don’t take well to rats in my organisation.”

The crowd was silent, no one daring to speak, the  _ drip, drip, drip _ of the blood the only sound in the room. Or it would have been, had it not been for Gareth still struggling against War’s grip. Knowing her lover was still hurt, Madalena doubted War would be able to keep him under control much longer, a statement quickly proven correct when Gareth elbowed War in her injured side. War cursed, but pressed through the pain as she started to chase after him. 

War’s pursuit was cut short, however, when Gareth was effectively halted by a casual looking man in a sleek black suit. Where everyone else in the crowd had parted like the red sea as Gareth charged through them, Famine had stayed still, only side-stepping enough so he could grab the man by the collar with his right hand, a loaded pistol pressed against Gareth’s sternum with his right.

“Careful now.” Famine spoke calmly, tilting his head as he watched the man, daring him to try something. “I’ve been told my fingers are… Slippery.”

War smiled at Famine as she reached them, a gesture which Famine returned, albeit with more of an attitude. He allowed War to grab Gareth and twist his arm back again, but he kept his gun pointed at the man, nudging it in his back this time and wordlessly ordering him to walk. Despite this added motivator, War still forcibly hauled him over to Madalena, Famine calmly following his sister in arms. They could see Madalena lowering her own weapon, the brunette smirking as she saw Famine stop Gareth, giving War enough time to drag the man back, even if he was cursing all the while.

“You can’t even clean up your messes by yourself!” Gareth ranted as he was hauled back up the steps by War, who was being less than gentle. “You always need other people to do your dirty work. I bet you don’t even have the guts to shoot me yourself. You’ll need your help to do it.”

Madalena wasn’t too impressed by this rant, and had been about to argue as much, when Gareth’s next words all but sealed his fate. 

“You’re just a weak-willed woman.”

Well, that was that, then. Madalena just rolled her eyes, and with one swift movement aimed her weapon and pulled the trigger, shooting Gareth right between the eyes.  _ Such a fragile thing masculinity was...  _

She then turned back to the crowd below her. “Did anyone else have something they wanted to get off their chests?”

She didn’t dare to glance over at War, not having missed how some of the blood and tissue had ended up on the redhead’s face. She could feel the woman glaring at her, but Madalena was sure she wouldn’t be able to keep her hands to herself for long if she allowed herself to look at her. She’d always had a thing for War covered in blood, and it was the type of thing that made her want to push the woman against the nearest surface and fuck her until she screamed.

“I believe everyone understands the new world order.” War looked over at Famine, who had been the first one to break the silence. The man gave them a small nod before walking back over to the bodyguards he had shown up with, taking his leave. War took the opportunity to drop Gareth’s arm which she was still holding, the corpse tumbling down and landing at the bottom of the stairs. It would have been an impressive feat on its own, but neither Famine nor Madalena had missed the kick War had given Gareth’s lifeless body on its way down.

Madalena nodded at Famine, silently thanking him for him help before dismissing the crowd, telling them in no uncertain terms that there was work to be done and corpses to clean up. She also informed them of the addition of War’s men to the guard roster, and that their ‘guests’ were to be treated as their own, 'or else.’

With that, she turned to leave, motioning for War to follow her. War immediately rushed to her side, pausing as she saw Madalena stop. Saw her  _ hesitate _ , even just for a second. Then, with most eyes still on them, Madalena took War’s hand in her own, intertwining their fingers. 

War looked over at her with surprise. Madalena had never done this before, ever, and War was caught off guard by the moment. She could feel everyone’s eyes still on them, their badly kept secret now visible for everyone to see.

“Are you sure about this, Maddie?”

War’s voice was barely a whisper, and Madalena paused for a second. Was she sure about this? God no. For all she knew people would see this as a show of weakness, effectively undoing everything she just did to instill fear in her employees. But then again, her and War’s relationship was a serious one. Her people would have to get used to that at some point, anyway. Best to start simple, not draw too much attention to it.

“Don’t question it, Red.” Madalena grumbled, averting her gaze from the redhead as she started walking away from the crowd, still feeling a little uncomfortable with the situation. After all, serious shows of affection were rare for Madalena. She could fake it like no other, but actually being emotionally invested was new for her. 

But after her earlier altercation with War, and after Famine’s words… She knew she’d have to try. At least, if she didn’t want to lose War. Which she didn’t. So she kept their fingers intertwined as they left, even if she was a little glad the rest of the hallways were mostly deserted.

“How are your ribs?” She asked, clearly aiming to change the subject.

“Broken. And I need a shower…” War chuckled a little through her pain. “And maybe sleep for a week.” She shot a smile to her girlfriend. 

(And that was still a pleasant thought: Knowing Madalena was her girlfriend)

“Well, you should have thought of that before you carelessly shot yourself.” Madalena nevertheless shot War a sympathetic smile, slowing down a little and wrapping her arm around War’s waist, allowing the redhead to lean on her. “But I saw the bastard hit you there.” She added, sounding a little more concerned as she let her fingers trail lightly over the bullet wound in War’s side. “Do I need to call a physician? You know I hate seeing you hurt… By someone other than me, I mean.”

War laughed at that, memories of just how rough Madalena could be in the throes of passion all to clear in her mind. She almost considered taunting Madalena into just such a session, but she doubted the brunette would want to risk hindering her recovery. Besides, she wasn’t the only one injured right now.

“How’s your leg?” 

“Don’t you worry about that.” Madalena shook her head, leading War to her chambers and helping her sit down on the bed. “You just focus on getting your own strength back, okay?”

“Alriiiiiiight.” The word was drawn out even as she winced when she finally took a seat on the edge of the bed. War tried to shrug off her jacket, the thought of a hot shower followed by sleep sounding more appealing to her by the second, but she found her injuries prevented her from moving. “Can you… ummm, yeah.” She looked up at Madalena, who couldn’t resist smirking as she gently pushed War’s jacket off her shoulders, the desire in her eyes unmistakable.

(It was then that War remembered she’d effectively forgotten to wipe the blood off her face).

“Do you have any idea how irresistible you look right now?” Madalena leaned in closer, capturing War’s lips with her own in a passionate but gentle kiss. “All bloodied and bruised and  _ dangerous _ …” She kissed her again, and War couldn’t resist pulling her closer, allowing herself to be lowered back onto the bed as Madalena deepened their kiss, her tongue licking into War’s mouth. War moaned against her, her hands quickly finding their way into Madalena’s hair until…

“Ouch,  _ fuck! _ ”

War cursed through gritted teeth as her shoulder protested against the motion, and Madalena quickly pulled back, looking almost sheepish as she seemed to remember just how injured War was. War tried to push through the pain, lifting herself back up in an attempt to chase Madalena’s touch, but the other woman pushed her back, only allowing herself a chaste kiss before pulling back again.

“When you’re healed.” She promised, though War could tell it was taking her lover a lot of self control not to continue ravishing her right there and then. “I’ll run you a bath.”

Madalena got up from the bed, where she had been straddling War, and made her way to the bathroom, War watching her as she went. “You’re still going to need to help me undress.” She called after her, laughing as she heard her girlfriend’s frustrated groan from the adjoining room.

War sat back up again, kicking off her shoes and socks before following Madalena into the bathroom, watching her lover as she sat on the edge of the tub, pouring some bath salts and essential oils into the water. “I hope that means that you’re joining me?” War asked, her good arm snaking around Madalena’s waist as she kissed her neck.

Madalena softly smacked her arm, letting out a contented sigh as she leaned into War’s touch. “I could be persuaded.” She hummed, turning just enough so she could begin unbuttoning War’s shirt. “Someone’s gotta keep an eye on you, after all.”

War laughed, allowing Madalena to gently push the shirt off her shoulders. “I thought you said no funny business?”

“How long have I ever been able to resist you in the past.” Madalena smiled, pulling War closer by her belt loops before undoing her pants and helping her out of the rest of her clothes. War could feel Madalena’s gaze rake over her body, a smile gracing her lips as she noted the expression in her lover’s eyes. War had always known she was physically attractive, and the unbridled lust in Madalena’s eyes was nothing new. But it was always mixed with a form of awestruck wonder that none of her past lovers had ever seemed to have. For a second, War wondered if Madalena was going to abandon her principles after all, but then the brunette teared her gaze away, instead helping War into the tub.

War let out a satisfied groan as she sank down into the hot water, her aching muscles feeling instantly more relieved. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to just soak and enjoy the sensation for a minute or so. She could hear fabric hitting the ground, and a few seconds later a gentle hand in her hair signaled for her to move forward a little, before Madalena sank into the tub behind her.

“Isn’t this usually your spot?” War laughed, as she leaned back against her lover’s body, relaxing in the sensation of Madalena’s hand in her hair. She tilted her head back just enough to see the amused expression on the other woman’s face, grinning as Madalena’s nails scraped over her scalp a little harder than normal.  _ Watch it, Red _ .

Still chuckling a little, War let herself relax in Madalena’s embrace, enjoying the warmth and enjoying the moment, even as her mind wandered away from her. The way she felt right now, in this moment, she couldn’t even place that feeling anymore. She could barely recognize it as something she was able to feel, or at least hadn’t been capable of feeling for years now. Still, it was familiar, and War recognized it as part of a feeling that had been snuffed out when Pestilence had died.

Looking back in it now, she realized that in the years that passed, there had been moments where she hadn’t even recognized the woman she had become. She had always been cruel, vicious,  _ heartless _ , but something had disappeared when Pestilence had. An emptiness had formed, like something was missing, a gaping hole she hadn’t known how to fill. She realized that lately, she hadn’t felt so empty anymore. She hadn’t felt the need to search for that missing piece anymore.

She felt Madalena press a soft kiss to the top of her head, and War smiled softly. Madalena really was trying with her. Trying to keep her sane and out of that dark pit she’d fall into with every misstep. Which made the risk of losing her all the more dangerous. She’d been a wreck when Pestilence had died; she was sure she’d take the whole world down with her if she’d lost Madalena.

Her lover seemed to be able to tell something was bothering her, as War felt the hand in her hair still. “You okay, Red?”

“Just thinking…” The words were soft, but Madalena’s concern didn’t fade.

“About?”

“You. Me.  _ Us _ .”

Madalena opened her mouth to argue, her instincts being to tell War that there was no ‘us’, but she wisely closed her mouth again before she could speak. Because there actually  _ was _ an ‘us’. A ‘them’. It was just still taking some getting used to.

War didn’t seem to notice her near slip-up, instead taking the silence as a signal to continue talking. “Thinking about what I’d do if I lost you.”

“You’re not losing me.” Madalena’s tone of voice left no room for argument, and War had to smile at the other woman’s determined attitude. She knew how bossy her queen could be - it was one of the things she loved about her - but she also knew Madalena couldn’t just speak such things into existence. Not with the risks they took on a daily basis.

“Not even you can guarantee that, my queen.” War tilted her head to look at her, blue eyes meeting green. “After everything… All they took away from me… I can’t lose you too.” In a way, it was as if she’d just realized the real danger of everything around them. As if she was coming face to face with the fact that she wasn’t as strong as she thought. She hadn’t been able to save Pestilence - had been the reason Pestilence was killed - so how could she possibly save Madalena if something were to happen? How could she be sure she wouldn’t make the same mistake? Have Madalena-

Madalena silenced those thoughts with a kiss, her thumb gently stroking over one of the scars near War’s jaw. War could feel the understanding in that kiss, the reassurance that her lover understood exactly which concerns she was having, for the simple reason that she had painfully similar concerns.

_ ‘If I tell you I love you, I make it real. And if I make it real, then you’ll be a target.’  _ The words still rang true today. They always would.

Her expression was soft as she met War’s gaze, Madalena’s free hand reaching for War’s. She wasn’t good with affection, never had been, but this… She was trying. War always made her want to try.

“I know…” Madalena nodded. “I feel the same way. Why do you think I reacted the way I did, after…” She kept quiet, just vaguely glancing over at the wound on War’s side, before looking the redhead in the eye again.

“I care about you, Red. More than I’ve ever cared about anyone. And I’ll kill you if you ever share this information with anyone, but I am so,  _ so  _ scared that you being with me is going to make you a target, and that I’m going to risk losing you just because someone wants to hurt me.” She sighed softly, her fingers softly playing with War’s. “You’re my one weakness, Red. And I can’t bear the thought of losing you.”

War was quiet for a few seconds, allowing Madalena’s words to sink in, before gently squeezing her hand. “You know… You could call me Carmen. You don’t need to stick with Red.” She had realized that she had never really expressed that to her. She knew Madalena knew her real name - she must have read it in her file at some point, and Famine had used it more than once in her presence. But no one outside her immediate family had ever called her that.

“I didn’t know that, actually…” Madalena spoke softly, meeting War’s gaze with a soft, almost adoring look on her face. She knew War didn’t tend to like her first name, only allowing the other horsepeople to call her that. Her ex-husband sometimes would, just to piss War off, but it had been one of the things Madalena had always tried her best to take care not to use. She’d slipped up a few times, and had purposely tried to piss War off by calling her Carmen in the period where Madalena had still tried her best to convince herself she was not, in fact, having feelings for the redhead, but this…

This was different. This was new. Intimate, even, to an extent. She knew that she would still barely use it, much preferring the knowledge that she had a way of addressing her lover only she ever got to use, but still... It was nice to know the option was there.

War seemed to be able to tell as much, laughing softly as she leaned up to kiss Madalena. “You’re still going to call me Red, aren’t you.”

“Absolutely.” Her lover hummed, unable to resist nipping at War’s lip as they parted. “I like knowing that’s mine to use.”

“So possessive.” War grinned, though undeniably enjoying that thought.

“Very.” Madalena agreed, gently letting go of War’s hand, her fingers instead trailing lightly over the gunshot wound on War’s side. “Which means no more of this. I need you to be careful, Red. I-” She paused, allowing her demeanour to soften. “Don’t make me bury you.”

War was almost timid at the other woman’s words, swallowing hard as she sorted out her thoughts. “Is being in love worth it? Because I want it to be…” She trailed off, not fully realizing she’d spoken those last thoughts out loud.

Madalena took in a shaky breath, not immediately having an answer to that, pondering the words before she realized something. She sat up a little straighter, gently allowing War to turn so she could properly face her, before cupping War’s face in both her hands as she forced the redhead to look at her.

“Listen to me.” Her voice was a little more stern, a little more serious, Madalena meeting War’s gaze as she spoke. “I’m scared too. But you wanted this. And you made me want this too. So I won’t let you back out on me now. We’ll make it worth it. You and me. Do you understand me, Red? We’ll  _ make  _ it worth it.”

War nodded, unable to suppress a grin at Madalena’s demanding tone of voice. The brunette could be such a contradiction, her true emotions covered but not quite hidden by her bossy and determined attitude. Of course her queen would  _ demand  _ the universe bend to her will. If she was honest, War shouldn’t have expected anything else.

“We’ll make it worth it.” She agreed, leaning in to kiss Madalena, melting into the other woman’s touch. The kiss they shared was by far the most gentle and emotional one they’d shared so far, and War had never felt this sure of herself and this uncertain all at the same time. Her fears of losing what she had, this happiness she’d found, would never go away, always lingering in the back of her mind. But as she kissed Madalena, their bodies pressed together, Madalena holding her with such gentleness and care because of her wounds, War knew she wouldn’t let those fears stop her from living.  _ Couldn’t  _ let those fears stop her from living. 

Madalena was right; their relationship would always be high risk. But high risks came with high rewards. And as her lips trailed down the column of Madalena’s throat, her good hand finding their way between long legs, War decided she disagreed with her lover’s statement. They didn’t need to make it worth it.

It already was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this ending went a different direction than I initially planned it to but I gotta say... I'm not mad at it.  
Anyway, I'm ForxGood on twitter if you're looking for more content on these two.


End file.
